Democratic congressional candidate Joanna Mendoza declined to answer questions this week about campaign support from Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and a political action committee founded by former Democratic California Congressman Eric Swalwell.
Mendoza, who is running in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, has publicly highlighted endorsements from both Gallego and Future Forum PAC, a political organization founded by Swalwell.
In a September social media post, Mendoza wrote, “ENDORSEMENT ALERT! Honored to have the support of Future Forum PAC!” She added, “Future Forum is dedicated to empowering the next generation of leaders in Congress, and together we’ll deliver a stronger, fairer future for every family in #AZ06.”
Future Forum PAC was founded by Swalwell, though references to him have reportedly since been removed from the PAC’s website.
Mendoza’s campaign website also prominently displays endorsements from Gallego and Future Forum PAC.
According to Breitbart News, Mendoza declined to answer multiple questions regarding her continued acceptance of support from Gallego and organizations linked to Swalwell following recent allegations against the former congressman.
Arizona Democrat Joanna Mendoza took THOUSANDS from Ruben Gallego & Eric Swalwell's PACs
Mendoza proudly displays their endorsements
But asked about this, she refused to answer as her Democrat supporters FLIPPED OUT
During the exchange, Mendoza was asked whether she still supported Gallego despite his longtime friendship with Swalwell and whether she believed Gallego’s statements that he was unaware of allegations regarding Swalwell’s conduct. Mendoza did not respond to the questions.
“Lobbyist Joanna Mendoza’s website still touts her endorsement from Ruben Gallego and an Eric Swalwell-founded PAC while she refuses to ditch their money,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Ben Petersen said in a statement released alongside video of the exchange. “Mendoza has gone radio silent, but Arizona voters see right through it.”
Swalwell suspended his gubernatorial campaign and later resigned from Congress after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced.
One accuser, Lonna Drewes, alleged during a press conference that Swalwell sexually assaulted her after they met socially in 2018. Drewes said Swalwell offered to help her software business and invited her to public events before the alleged assault.
“He raped me, and he choked me, and while he was choking me, I lost consciousness, and I thought I died,” Drewes said during the press conference, according to the outlet.
“I knew he was married at the time and that his wife was pregnant,” she said. “He was my friend.”
Swalwell has denied the allegations.
Gallego later distanced himself from Swalwell following the allegations. However, Gallego has also faced allegations of misconduct.
Last week, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s office and Senate ethics officials were reviewing information related to allegations involving Gallego as well as possible campaign finance violations, as reported by CBS News.
With Arizona’s legislative session scheduled to close this week, small business owners are still left in a lurch over a lack of tax conformity.
Twice this year Gov. Katie Hobbs has vetoed legislation that would have provided full conformity in the tax code with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last summer. The governor maintains that the best path forward would not be full conformity, but rather partial.
Gov. Hobbs wanted the Republican-led legislature to get on board with the Democratic minority’s Middle Class Tax Cuts Package.
The Arizona Free Enterprise Club, a free market policy organization, said Hobbs’ preferred conformity package would require Arizonans to file taxes twice and increase taxes by $200 million.
File your taxes twice. Pay more. Welcome to Katie Hobbs’ Arizona.
After vetoing two full conformity bills, Hobbs helped turn what should have been a routine tax update into a full-blown mess in the middle of filing season. Her administration issued forms based on full… pic.twitter.com/eS5n6tiWfm
That threat of double-filing, per Senate President Warren Petersen (R-LD14), has been mitigated because the tax forms sent out by the state aligned with what the Republicans brought to the table (and Hobbs rejected).
Prior to the first veto, the Arizona Department of Revenue issued its advice on filing under the new changes to federal tax law.
Republican leadership in the legislature urged Arizonans to file their taxes, promising to not support any conformity package that would effectively “punish Arizona taxpayers” and require refiling.
“For tax year 2025 we will not support anything that forces Arizonans to refile,” said Petersen.
“Any outcome that requires you to amend your return or pay more is a nonstarter,” said House Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-LD29).
Gov. Hobbs justified her vetoes under the claim that Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill would require poorer Arizonans to shoulder more of the tax burden.
“We should not hold tax cuts for over 88 percent of Arizonans hostage in order to force through tax breaks for special interests,” said Hobbs. “Other questions of tax conformity must be decided through budget negotiations, following the precedent set by Governor Ducey.”
Sen. Petersen rejected Hobbs’ view of the federal tax changes.
Petersen dismissed Hobbs’ claim as “a nice talking point” that ignored what he says is the reality of how the federal legislation impacts an overwhelming majority of the state’s business transactions.
“That’s just not true,” said Petersen. “We’re talking about tax on tips, we’re talking about tax on car interest loans, we’re talking about no overtime. These are not rich people. These are small business owners. 90 percent of business transactions are small business owners.”
“It’s a nice talking point, but it’s really not true.”
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen joined @AZMorningNews to push back on Gov. Katie Hobbs after she vetoed Arizona tax conformity and tax-cut bills tied to federal changes.
Chad Heinrich, Arizona director of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), toldThe Phoenix Business Journal that the lack of conformity will cause increased taxes on over 700,000 small businesses in Arizona. Heinrich blamed Hobbs.
“Not conforming with the key business provisions is, in practical effect, a tax increase on the Arizonans who can least absorb it — those who own and operate Arizona’s small businesses,” said Heinrich. “The Legislature has done its part. Governor Hobbs should finish the job, now, before one more small business owner has to guess about their future.”
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Congressman Abraham Hamadeh (R-AZ-08) recently introduced H.R. 8331, known as the Maverick Act of 2026, a bipartisan measure to preserve three of the final remaining F-14 Tomcat fighter jets for historical display and public education.
The legislation is the House companion to Senate Bill 4161, introduced by Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT). Original cosponsors joining Congressman Hamadeh include Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06), Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA), Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA), Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA), Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI), Rep. Jake Ellzey (R-TX), Rep. Don Davis (D-NC), and Rep. James Moylan (R-GU).
Congressman Hamadeh, a former U.S. Army officer, emphasized the personal and cultural importance of the legendary fighter jets. “As a young man, I was inspired by the popular Tom Cruise movie Top Gun, which featured the F-14, one of the most iconic aircraft ever flown,” stated Congressman Hamadeh. “As a former U.S. Army officer, I know that many of the men and women I served with felt the same way. That is why I proudly introduced this legislation.”
The Maverick Act would authorize the Secretary of the Navy to transfer three specific F-14 Tomcats to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission in Huntsville, Alabama. The aircraft would be conveyed at no cost to the federal government through a conditional deed of gift.
Currently, strict post-retirement rules have resulted in the destruction of nearly all F-14 airframes. This bill creates a narrow exception, allowing the three aircraft to be fully demilitarized and preserved under rigorous national security protections. The legislation explicitly prohibits any restoration of combat capability and bans any future foreign transfers.
All expenses related to transportation, restoration, operation, and maintenance of the aircraft will be the responsibility of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission. The jets will be provided in “as-is” condition, with the Navy permitted to include relevant technical manuals and limited excess spare parts needed for restoration and static display. The Commission may partner with qualified nonprofit organizations to help restore the aircraft.
“Because this legislation does not come at a cost to our hard-working taxpayers, I expect that my fellow fiscal conservatives will happily support this legislation,” added Hamadeh. “I am grateful to the cosponsors of the bill, who have already offered their enthusiastic support.”
Strong safeguards are built into the bill, including a rescission clause that returns ownership to the United States if any conditions are violated. The aircraft must remain demilitarized and may only be used for public displays, airshows, and commemorative events celebrating U.S. naval aviation heritage. All activities will comply with FAA regulations and applicable export control laws.
In a separate but related preservation victory, Congressman Hamadeh secured language in the FY26 defense bill – signed into law by President Trump – that rescued five historic T-37 jet trainers from destruction at Tucson’s aircraft boneyard. These aircraft, which trained generations of pilots, aces, astronauts, and the nation’s first female aviators, will now be restored by the Arizona Aviation Historical Group to support STEM education, aviation heritage, and military recruitment.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney ruled Tuesday that the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) did not comply with state law when implementing a policy that restricted residential development in parts of Maricopa County.
In the order, the court found the agency “did not comply” with Arizona law in adopting the challenged requirements and declared the policy invalid.
The policy, commonly referred to as the “Unmet Demand” approach, was used by ADWR in evaluating whether proposed developments could meet the state’s requirement to demonstrate a 100-year assured water supply in the Phoenix Active Management Area.
Arizona law requires developers in designated areas to obtain a certificate of assured water supply demonstrating access to sufficient groundwater or other supplies for 100 years before construction can proceed.
According to the lawsuit, ADWR’s application of an “Unmet Demand” standard required consideration of projected groundwater demand across the broader management area rather than focusing on the water supply available to an individual development.
The court rejected the agency’s justification for the policy, stating that its interpretation of the law “lacks merit.”
The case was filed in January 2025 by the Goldwater Institute on behalf of the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona, challenging the policy’s legality under state administrative procedures.
In a statement following the ruling, Goldwater Institute Vice President for Legal Affairs Timothy Sandefur said the court’s decision invalidated the agency’s approach to regulating development under the policy.
He explained, “The reality is that although Phoenix is a desert, there’s plenty of water to serve the needs of development. Yet the ‘Unmet Demand Rule’ transformed overnight how home building could work in Maricopa County—restricting construction at a time in which the limited supplies of residences have caused housing prices to soar. And that was illegal, because the Department had no power to adopt the ‘Unmet Demand Rule’ in the first place.”
He added, “State law sets forth a process for creating new rules, and the Department didn’t bother trying to comply with those processes. Instead, it claimed that it had simply discovered somehow that this was what the law required all along.”
The challenged policy had affected development planning in portions of the Phoenix metropolitan area, including Buckeye and Queen Creek, where groundwater availability determinations are required for new subdivisions, according to court filings and statements in the case.
Sandefur called the ruling “a crucial victory for Arizonans, not just in Phoenix but throughout the state, who might well have been on the Department’s target list had it been allowed to get away with redefining the rules in this way.”
He added, “The case is also a reminder of the dangerous power that the pervasive ‘administrative state’ wields over our daily lives—as unelected and unaccountable bureaucracies exert authority over every detail of construction, business, and property ownership, to cite just a few examples. The only solution to the arbitrariness and lawlessness of these agencies is to rein in their power—and for courts to ensure that they obey the law.”
The court’s ruling focused on whether ADWR followed the procedures required under Arizona law to implement new regulatory requirements. The order concluded that the agency did not follow those procedures in adopting the “Unmet Demand Rule” approach.
In a statement to Capitol Media, a Department of Water Resources spokesman said the agency intends to appeal Judge Blaney’s ruling, stating, “Although there is no final judgment yet, the Arizona Department of Water Resources intends to challenge the decision once it is final.”
Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ-02) introduced a bill to impose a three-year moratorium on H-1B visas while major reforms occur in the program.
The bill introduced Wednesday, the End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026, proposes a laundry list of program reforms to include:
Reducing the annual H-1B cap from 65,000 (not including the 20,000 for advanced degree holders) to 25,000;
Eliminating existing exemptions;
Replacing the lottery system with a wage-based selection system;
Requiring employers to certify inability to source qualified American workers;
Requiring employers to prove no layoffs occurred;
Setting the minimum H-1B wage at $200,000 per year;
Barring H-1B workers from holding multiple jobs;
Prohibiting third-party staffing agencies from employing H-1B workers;
Prohibiting H-1B workers from bringing dependents into the country;
Prohibiting federal agencies from sponsoring or employing nonimmigrant workers;
Ending Optional Practical Training (OPT);
Prohibiting H-1B holders from adjusting status to permanent residency; and
Requiring nonimmigrants to depart the U.S. before changing to another nonimmigrant status.
Crane called the H-1B Program a “flawed process” that needed years of work to restore fairness in employment.
“The federal government should work for hardworking citizens, not the profit margins of massive corporations. We owe it to the American people to prevent the broken H-1B system from boxing them out of jobs they are qualified to perform,” said Crane. “The End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026 would provide greater access to employment, strengthen protocols in the visa process, and prioritize the livelihoods of Americans.”
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09) signed on as an original cosponsor, along with Republican Reps. Brandon Gill (TX), Wesley Hunt (TX), Tom McClintock (CA), Keith Self (TX), and Andy Ogles (TN).
Gosar expressed discontent with a program as a cost-saving measure for businesses at the expense of American employment rates.
“The H-1B program has been hijacked to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labor — plain and simple. This bill slams the brakes on a system that’s rigged against our own people and puts American jobs first again,” said Gosar. “If a company can hire an American, they should. No loopholes. No excuses. We’re done subsidizing the outsourcing of our own workforce.”
An overhaul of the H-1B Program has been a priority for President Donald Trump.
Last September, the president imposed a $100,000 entry fee for new H-1B visa recipients. However, this fee doesn’t apply to those residing in the U.S., meaning a vast majority of H-1B holders are exempt.
New data on lottery pool entries and entry fee payments reflected that the entry fee had minimal impact on reducing H-1B visas.
Last week, Financial Express reported that the lottery pool reduced by about 27 percent, from 470,300 to 345,000 entries — still far above the 85,000 cap on visas. Only 85 entry fees have been paid.
Attorney General Kris Mayes sued the Trump administration over the fee in December. Mayes cited the need for foreign labor to staff rural school districts and the semiconductor industry.
In December, the Department of Homeland Security announced it would be amending program regulations by replacing the random lottery for a weighted selection to prioritize skills and wages.
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Maricopa County Supervisor Mark Stewart invites residents of District 1 to join him for a virtual town hall meeting on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.
The one-hour webinar will provide an update on Supervisor Stewart’s 2026 priorities, the county budget, upcoming elections, and other key county initiatives. A large portion of the program will be dedicated to a live Q&A, allowing constituents to ask questions directly.
“It’s hard to believe we’re already a quarter into 2026! We have lots to cover,” said Stewart. “We want to hear from YOU! Be sure to bring your questions.”
As a supervisor, Stewart says he is “dedicated to people-focused leadership that improves quality of life, supports sustainable growth, and reflects the core values of Maricopa County.” He believes his approach “prioritizes transparency and accountability, ensuring that both residents and businesses have the opportunity to prosper.”
The virtual town hall is open to residents of Maricopa County Supervisor District 1, which includes parts of Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, Queen Creek, and Tempe.
Registration is required. Residents can register for the event using the official registration link available through the Maricopa County Supervisor District 1 office.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
