by Staff Reporter | Sep 10, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
On a Friday in July 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ), under President Joe Biden, arrested a man for a bomb threat he’d made a year and a half earlier to the Arizona secretary of state at the time, Katie Hobbs.
According to the DOJ’s public announcement of that arrest, that threat was sent online in mid-February 2021 through the secretary of state’s Elections Division contact form. Yet, it took law enforcement more than a year to nab the perpetrator: a Massachusetts man named James Clark.
Media outlets promptly picked up the news of Clark’s arrest, framing it as the latest in what was then an ongoing scourge of threats to election officials following the contentious 2020 election.
Hobbs was reaffirmed in the public eye as a face of resistance to former President Donald Trump’s purported election denialism. And she was deep into a contentious race of her own for the governor’s office against Trump-backed candidate Kari Lake.
“Election officials across the country are being threatened regularly for doing their jobs,’’ said Hobbs in a prepared statement at the time. “It’s unconscionable and undermines our democracy. This harassment won’t be tolerated and can’t be normalized. We thank the FBI for their persistence on further investigating this incident.”
The one detail that never received much attention was the timing of Clark’s arrest.
On the same day that the DOJ sparked a flurry of media coverage on their delayed arrest of a Trump-defying Democrat’s would-be assassin, a Hobbs campaign operative quietly registered Will of the People, a political action committee (PAC) that would go on to raise more than $5 million from dark money and labor union heavyweights across the nation.
The listed address for the PAC is a virtual office in downtown Phoenix. Its treasurer from day one was Dacey Montoya, founder and president of The Money Wheel, a well-known political and nonprofit compliance firm in Democratic circles. Montoya is currently the treasurer for both Gov. Katie Hobbs’ campaign and Hobbs’ alleged campaign finance fund-washing fund.
Montoya has offered her Money Wheel services to numerous Democratic candidates, party organizations, and progressive dark money operations both in Arizona and nationally over the years. Past clientele include Gov. Katie Hobbs, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, Rep. Yassamin Ansari, Sen. Mark Kelly, Jevin D. Hodge, Kirsten Engel, Reginald Bolding, Arizona Democratic Party, Maricopa County Democratic Party, Progress Now Arizona/Progress Arizona, Our Voice Our Vote Arizona, Copper State Victory, and the Arizona Education Association.
The Money Wheel has received more than $5.2 million since 2017 at the federal level according to Federal Election Commission records, and more than $1.9 million since 2017 at the state level according to secretary of state campaign finance records. Since 2022, Montoya’s company has received more than $119,000 from the PAC.
Will of the People PAC
Most of Will of the People PAC’s millions came in 2022 and 2024.
- $2.3 million from SEIU-UHW and SEIU-COPE, the nation’s largest labor union and a PAC
- $1 million from Open Society Action Fund, an organization by the Soros family, who are top Democratic dark money donors
- $680,000 from ProgressNow AZ
- $600,000 from the National Education Association
- $360,000 from the Fairness Project
- $200,000 from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arizona
The PAC has not reported any income this year, and the only significant reported expenditures so far have been $8,000 from January through April given to The Money Wheel.
The PAC has spent an undisclosed amount of funding on lawfare to kill Republican-led ballot initiatives; in recent months, they filed two lawsuits to stop Propositions 142 (called the “Prohibit Mandatory Support for Discrimination or Preferential Treatment by Government Entities Amendment”) and 318 (called the “Require All Schools and Athletic Associations to Restrict Sports Participation and Access to Private Spaces Based on Sex Measure”).
Prop 142 would prohibit the state and government agencies from compelling, promoting, or implementing practices rooted in preferential treatment or discrimination based on race or ethnicity.
Prop 318 would restrict access to private spaces like restrooms and locker rooms based on biological sex, bar male students from participating in female sports, and establish a definition of sex rooted in biology.
In the case of Prop 318, the PAC also created a website called “Vote No on Prop 318.” However, per media coverage and the website itself, the PAC is now claiming to be a program under Progress Arizona, a progressive 501(c)(4) nonprofit. This website has not been disclosed under the PAC’s campaign finance reporting as of this report. The PAC’s logo is displayed on the website.
“Will of the People is a program of Progress Arizona,” states the website. “Email info@progressarizona.org. Paid for by Will of the People.”
Concerning the media — as previously reported, the PAC once identified The Arizona Republic as an endorser of their efforts.
It appears that the PAC may have failed to file some of its required expenditure disclosures. Four television advertisements urging Arizonans to vote “no” on Prop 132 (called the “60% Vote Requirement for Ballot Measures to Approve Taxes Amendment”) weren’t reflected in the PAC’s ballot measure expenditures for 2022, because none were issued.
Voters approved Prop 132 in 2022, which established a 60% vote threshold for ballot measures approving taxes.
Will of the People Is Also a Nonprofit
The PAC also has a similarly named nonprofit, “Will of the People Arizona.” The two share a launch year, an address, and leadership.
One of the first leaders of the nonprofit arm, Betsy Boggia, was not listed on PAC documentation. Boggia served as the director/secretary from 2022 through 2024, based on Arizona Corporation Commission records.
Will of the People: Articles of Incorporation
Will of the People Annual Reports: 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
Boggia is a League of Women Voters board member and a recent former president of its Tucson chapter, according to her active and up-to-date LinkedIn profile. Notably missing from her work history and posts were any references to her leading a nonprofit that raised more than $5.5 million in three years.
Boggia’s silence on the matter may be explained by the nonprofit’s tax filings, which reported that Boggia spent an average of just one hour per week running the multi-million dollar operation.
Between the nonprofit and PAC, the two apparently affiliated entities have raised and spent approximately $11 million in four years.
The nonprofit didn’t disclose its revenue sources on its available tax filings from 2022, 2023, and 2024. Only four contributions totaling $2.1 million were publicly available through other organizations’ tax filings:
Only the ACLU provided a detailed explanation for the purpose of their contribution: paid communications to defeat Propositions 128, 129, and 132.
Propositions Targeted by Will of the People PAC and Nonprofit
Based on various sources, the PAC and nonprofit together targeted at least 14 Republican-led propositions from 2022 through this year.
Nine were defeated and five passed. Five are to be determined this year.
The PAC and nonprofit also successfully advocated for the passage of Prop 139 in 2024, which made abortion a constitutional right in Arizona.
On publicly available archived versions of the PAC’s site from 2024 through 2025, the PAC clearly disclosed which propositions it opposed: Props 134, 136, 137, and 139.
Prop 134 would have set a signature distribution requirement in all 30 legislative districts for citizen-led initiatives: 10% for statewide initiatives, 15% for constitutional amendments, and 5% for statewide referenda.
Prop 136 would have allowed individuals to sue to stop voter-proposed initiatives from being put on the ballot if they believe them to be unconstitutional.
Prop 137 would have ended term limits for state supreme court justices and superior court judges.
Then, earlier this year, the PAC changed its website to offer a ballot proposal guide in exchange for donations. The linked donation button led to a donation page hosted by ActBlue Civics, which disclosed that the donated funds would be given to Progress Arizona, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, not the Will of the People PAC.
In 2024, the PAC disclosed giving $8,000 to Progress Arizona’s policy and research director, Casey Clowes, in 2024 to run digital ads opposed to multiple propositions and in favor of one proposition, Prop 139, which created a constitutional right to abortion.
The PAC has also paid $55,000 to ProgressNow AZ and Progress Arizona PAC, and $706,000 to the Arizona Democratic Party.
The current version of the site as of this report no longer includes the promise of a ballot proposal guide in exchange for fundraising. Instead, the PAC website now urges individuals to endorse a “no” vote on Props 142, 144, 318, and 320.
“A group of power-hungry politicians have voted to put a set of highly deceptive propositions on your ballot this November,” states the present version of the site. “They are aiming to make voting more difficult for Arizonans, hollow out our schools with funding cuts, and institute blanket discrimination in youth sports. You can help stop these propositions by adding your name to the list of Arizonans endorsing a NO vote on these dangerous measures.”
Despite its grassroots-sounding name, Will of the People has been funded by millions of dollars from national labor unions, progressive organizations, and Democratic-aligned dark-money groups, while its leadership and vendors have extensive ties to Arizona’s Democratic political establishment.
The organization has opposed numerous Republican-led ballot measures. With five targeted measures still awaiting a vote, its influence over Arizona’s ballot initiatives remains active heading into November.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 10, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
An event hosted by an anti-police group featuring 6th Congressional District candidate JoAnna Mendoza was canceled after a media outlet inquired about it.
The Washington Free Beacon had inquired about the virtual town hall event, which was scheduled to take place last Thursday night.
The canceled event was hosted by the program CareWins and paid for by its parent organization, MomsRising PAC. Mendoza was scheduled to appear virtually alongside Manny Rutinel, a Democratic candidate for a congressional seat in Colorado.
MomsRising has advocated for divesting police funding, eradicating police and prisons, and police-free schools for years.
The organization has referred to law enforcement as rampant with “a deadly mix of white supremacy and violence.”
The Washington Free Beacon noted in its report that the MomsRising network has also advocated for the closure of immigration detention centers and prohibiting police from working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In 2020, the first and strongest year of Black Lives Matter-led violence and advocacy, MomsRising called for defunding of the police.
That same year, Mendoza had expressed support for reducing police funding in favor of social welfare programs during her campaign for Arizona State Senate District 11.
“I support the reallocation of funding to programs that would allow people to live their best lives, such as the social service programs such as housing, public education, health care, ensuring that we’re addressing economic stability and environmental safety,” said Mendoza.
However, Mendoza opposed calls for total defunding of the police. She made that clear during a Clean Elections debate in September 2020.
“I do not support the defunding of police,” said Mendoza. “You know, police officers take an oath to protect and serve their communities much like military service members.”
Rather, Mendoza said she supported investing in other social welfare resources and additional funding into body cameras, deescalation training, and investigations into deadly force.
“Police officers are being asked to do too much, they’re being asked to address issues because of the lack of resources in our communities,” said Mendoza. “I support ensuring they have the resources but there also needs to be some accountability.”
Mendoza reiterated that position in a March 2026 opinion piece published by the Arizona Daily Star.
“The answer is not to defund law enforcement – it’s to fund law enforcement with intention. That includes ICE,” said Mendoza. “That means supporting the officers who serve honorably while insisting on training, body cameras, clear identification, lawful conduct, and meaningful oversight.”
Mendoza has raised more than $7.3 million according to Federal Election Commission data; no donations have come from MomsRising or Care in Action PAC, the political action committee affiliated with the CareWins program.
Approximately $665,000 of funds raised came from House Victory Project 2026, a joint Democratic fundraising committee. Most of the other funds have been reported as pooled donations from ActBlue, the main fundraising platform for Democratic candidates.
Rep. Juan Ciscomani, the incumbent and Mendoza’s opponent, has raised less. Ciscomani has raised just over $6.1 million this election cycle.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 9, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) has issued standing orders for access to the latest COVID-19 and influenza vaccines.
These standing orders grant authority to authorized healthcare professionals to administer the vaccines to all individuals aged six months and older, including pregnant women.
These authorized healthcare professionals include physicians, physician assistants, advanced practice registered nurses or nurse practitioners, and pharmacists. Additionally, pharmacists may delegate the administration of both vaccines to an active, licensed, trained intern and pharmacy technicians under pharmacist supervision.
ADHS explained in a press release that it issued the standing orders amid uncertainty with the schedule and timing of the next meeting by the Centers for Disease Control’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the entity responsible for developing vaccine schedule recommendations.
ACIP canceled the first two of three meetings scheduled for this year, one in March and one in June, due to ongoing litigation. The third meeting is scheduled to take place from October 21-23. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) sued the Department of Health and Human Services over ACIP appointments made by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the new childhood immunization schedule.
ADHS identified COVID-19 and influenza as “major” and “significant” causes of morbidity in its respective standing orders.
Dr. Richard Carmona, ADHS public health medical advisor and the nation’s former surgeon general, said the standing orders ensured “safe and timely access” to the vaccines necessary for preventing severe illness and death.
The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and AAP recommend the influenza vaccine once or twice per year for children aged six months to approximately nine years old, and once per year for minors from approximately nine to 18 years old. For adults, the AAFP recommends the influenza vaccine between the ages of 19 and 64 years old; the recommended schedule did not provide a specific dosage amount.
The AAFP and the AAP recommend the COVID-19 vaccine once or more per year for children aged six months to 18 years old. For adults, the AAFP recommends one or more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for individuals between the ages of 19 to 64 years, and two or more doses for those aged 65 years or older.
The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists recommends that all pregnant and lactating women receive the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots.
So far for the ADHS 2025-2026 respiratory illness reporting season — which runs from November 2025 through October 2026 — there have been more than 19,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and approximately 49,700 confirmed influenza cases.
The latest ADHS data on the leading causes of mortality in Arizona from 2023 reported that COVID-19 was the 11th leading cause of death and influenza and pneumonia were the 13th leading cause of death; just over 950 deaths were attributed to COVID-19 and slightly more than 900 deaths were attributed to influenza and pneumonia.
COVID-19, influenza, and pneumonia accounted for approximately 3% collectively of the 16 leading causes of death identified in 2023.
The top three identified leading causes of death — heart disease, malignant neoplasms, and accidents — accounted for approximately 62% of deaths that year.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 8, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Two men were arrested this week for allegedly drugging, kidnapping, and sexually assaulting a woman earlier this summer.
Zabdiel “Zab” Kofi Echie, 24, and Joaquin Corona Borboa, 21, face sexual assault and kidnapping charges. The two are alleged to have conspired to commit the crimes.
Echie is a Border Patrol agent in training who had served until recently in the Marine Corps. Public records indicate that Echie lived in the Virginia/Washington, D.C. area throughout his high school years, and in the Tucson area for at least the last several months.
Borboa is a college student on hiatus at the University of Arizona (U of A) who works as a handyman with his uncle and is an aspiring fitness influencer according to his social media activity. Unlike Echie, Borboa’s attorney described him as a lifelong Tucson resident dating back to four months old. Borboa’s attorney mentioned that his parents were present for the initial hearing and willing to house him should the judge permit him to be released on his own recognizance. The judge did not.
Court documents revealed that the alleged victim, an 18-year-old woman, told investigators that Echie and Borboa gave her alcohol and then, to her surprise, put an “unknown white powdery substance” in her mouth while driving her from Tucson to Echie’s home in Sahuarita on June 19.
The victim alleged that she became disoriented during the 30-minute drive, and further alleged that Borboa digitally penetrated her.
Once at Echie’s home, the victim claimed that she passed out and later awoke to Echie having sex with her in his bed. She alleged that she attempted to stop Echie but that he held her down with Borboa’s help.
The victim also alleged that Borboa forced her to perform oral sex on him before taking her to his apartment and having sex with her there for several more hours.
The interim complaint reported that Echie’s cell phone contained a short video of the sexual encounter. Investigators noted that the victim was crying on the video, and that Borboa was visibly holding her down as Echie had sex with her.
Investigators also discovered text messages between Echie and Borboa that allegedly reflect they planned the sexual assault.
The judge who oversaw Borboa’s initial court appearance called the data discovered on Borboa’s phone “concerning.”
Echie posted his $150,000 bond; Borboa is being held at the Pima County Adult Detention Complex on a $350,000 bond.
Neither Echie nor Borboa have any criminal history. Attorneys for both men negotiated for lowered bonds, arguing that neither presented a threat to the community based on their lack of criminal history.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told 13 News that Echie was an off-duty employee and confirmed that its Office of Professional Responsibility is investigating Echie over the allegations.
“CBP stresses honor and integrity in every aspect of our mission, and the overwhelming majority of CBP employees and officers perform their duties with honor and distinction, working tirelessly every day to keep our country safe,” stated CBP.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 8, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
A captain for the U.S. Navy will be inducted into his high school’s hall of fame on September 11.
Navy Captain Kurt Astroth will be in attendance for the induction ceremony in his honor at Mountain Pointe High School.
Astroth serves at U.S. Fleet Forces Command, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia. He joined the Navy 22 years ago.
Previously, Astroth served as commanding officer of the USS Donald Cook. Astroth has served as a surface warfare officer aboard multiple ships: the USSs Boxer, Essex, Chief, Gladiator, Scout, Lake Champlain, and Underwood.
Astroth was inspired by the men in his family to join the military. His grandfather served in the Army Air Corps during World War II, his father in the Army during the Korean War era, and his uncle served as a naval aviator in Vietnam.
His family has continued to be a positive source of support in his life.
Of his service, Astroth said that he has grown to appreciate it as having a meaning deeper than serving his country.
“When I joined the Navy as a young man, I understood service largely in terms of serving my country,” said Astroth. “After more than two decades, my understanding of service has become much more personal. Service requires sacrifice. When you are young, it is difficult to fully appreciate what that means. Over a career, sacrifice becomes time away from family, missed events and milestones, deployments, and accepting that you will not always have complete control over where you go or when you will return.”
Astroth also stated that his service has rewarded him with the unparalleled opportunity to lead and develop the younger generations coming into service.
“For me, one of the greatest rewards of service has been the opportunity to lead and develop sailors, and to know that, for a period of time, I had the opportunity and responsibility to make a positive difference in their lives,” said Astroth. “I have served around the world, led sailors at sea, commanded a warship and watched young men and women grow into capable professionals and leaders themselves.”
Astroth was raised in Phoenix and graduated from Mountain Pointe High School in 1999, approximately eight years after the school had first opened. While at Mountain Pointe, Astroth lettered in football, track, and band. Astroth was a percussionist in the high school concert band for all four years.
Additionally, Astroth participated in the school’s German exchange program and, in turn, hosted three exchange students from Germany.
Astroth graduated from Mountain Pointe as a member of the National Honor Society. He was also a member of the Boy Scouts, and achieved the Eagle Scout rank.
Astroth credited his Mountain Pointe High School teachers and coaches, his Boy Scout troop leaders and fellow scouts, and his community at Dayspring United Methodist Church in Tempe for setting him up for success in his youth.
“Each of those communities gave me opportunities to grow, challenged me in different ways and helped establish values that I carried with me into the Navy,” said Astroth.
Tomika Banks, Mountain Pointe High School principal, told Astroth in a letter that his leadership and service to the community warranted his memorialization within the halls he once walked.
“This is a well-deserved recognition of your years of outstanding leadership and service to the Mountain Pointe Community, and an acknowledgment that you exemplified exceptional commitment to our school and students,” said Banks.
Astroth’s induction ceremony is scheduled to occur on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at 5:15 p.m. in the gym lobby. Astroth will also be recognized at 6:30 p.m. on the football field prior to the school’s varsity football game.
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