by Staff Reporter | May 20, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The Republican candidate for the Arizona secretary of state race stands in support of precinct-based voting.
Alexander Kolodin, a Republican lawmaker representing LD3, told Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller in a sit-down interview that precinct-based voting had “the opposite” effect of disenfranchising disabled voters.
Rather, Kolodin said that the vote center model preferred by his opponent — incumbent Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat — presents a greater risk for disenfranchisement because of the distance between vote centers.
“Precinct-based voting — I want to make this very clear — is the opposite of disenfranchising disabled voters. It is the vote center model that disenfranchises the most disabled voters because, again, it’s that travel time, it’s that distance,” said Kolodin.
Kolodin added that the distances between vote centers compared to precinct polling were more costly, gas- and time-wise. Kolodin likened the cost to taxation, with the greater burden on disabled voters.
“It’s almost a poll tax. Imagine how much gasoline it costs these days to drive 30 miles. You drive 30 miles there and back, I tell you in my car that’s going to cost me $10, $15 bucks. So, I’d have to pay that money in order to vote,” said Kolodin. “It’s hard for me to get a caregiver who can have that much time to take me if I’m a disabled person that far to vote, whereas if I have a polling place in my precinct, that becomes a much easier lift for me.”
Earlier this month, Secretary of State Fontes lost a court fight with Pinal County over its precinct-based voting model. Fontes sued in 2024 to force the county to adopt vote centers under the guise of retaining precinct-based voting.
In the 2025 Election Procedures Manual (EPM), Fontes mandated that all counties with precinct-based voting repurpose the Accessible Voting Devices (AVDs) to contain provisional ballots for the entire county. AVDs were intended and used exclusively in the past for voters with disabilities. Under Fontes’ design, precinct-based polling places would deprioritize voters with disabilities by requiring them to share this specialized voting equipment with out-of-precinct voters.
The court ruled that Fontes’ mandate would likely disenfranchise disabled voters.
Fontes dismissed the judge’s ruling as “sid[ing] with conspiracy theorists” in a social media post. He claimed his 2025 EPM policy wasn’t rooted in a desire to force “de facto” vote center models, as the court ruling stated, but instead an intent to allow voters with disabilities to vote wherever they wanted in the county.
“We were trying to help voters with disabilities just go to whatever polling place they can get to the easiest and cast a ballot from anywhere in their county,” said Fontes. “Unfortunately, for now, the politics have won in the court.”
However, that EPM policy didn’t explicitly limit AVDs usage to out-of-precinct voters with disabilities. The policy opened up the AVDs to all out-of-precinct voters.
“If the voter declines or is unable to travel to the voter’s assigned polling place, permit the voter to vote a provisional ballot in the correct ballot style for the voter’s assigned precinct using an accessible voting device that is programmed to contain all ballot styles,” stated the 2025 EPM. “The election official should inform the voter that their provisional ballot will be counted only if it is confirmed the voter is otherwise eligible to vote and did not vote early or at another voting location and had that other ballot counted as determined by the County Recorder.”
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by Ethan Faverino | May 20, 2026 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
The U.S. Department of Justice has formed the West Coast Healthcare Fraud Strike Force, a new multi-district initiative targeting the significant rise in healthcare fraud across Arizona, California, and Nevada. The effort unites federal prosecutors with law enforcement partners to protect Arizona taxpayers, patients, and legitimate healthcare services from sophisticated fraud networks.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the DOJ’s Fraud Division cited data showing sharp increases in fraud activity in the three states. “The Fraud Division is committed to bringing that same relentless, data-driven prosecutorial force to bear across every corner of this region,” said McDonald, “making unmistakably clear that no scheme is too sophisticated, no network too large or small, and no fraudster too distant to escape federal accountability.”
Arizona has been particularly hard-hit and is already on the front lines of enforcement. U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona noted that federal law enforcement and his office have already disrupted fraud schemes worth over a billion dollars of taxpayer money in the state. “Our mission as part of the West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force is to ensure Americans who need critical services are not used as pawns to make bad actors rich,” Courchaine stated. “Through excellent investigations, trial work, and seizures of ill-gotten gains, the District of Arizona will continue safeguarding those services.”
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes told The Center Square, “Arizona has been on the front lines of fighting Medicaid fraud for the past several years, and we welcome the federal government’s help in combatting this problem.” Mayes also highlighted that since 2023, her office has indicted 166 individuals and entities and recovered or seized more than $139 million in cash and assets.
Recent Arizona cases underscore the scale of the threat. In one scheme, Farrukh Jarar Ali, a 41 year old Pakistan-based operator, was charged with conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and related offenses after allegedly submitting approximately $650 million in false and fraudulent claims to Arizona’s Medicaid program (AHCCCS) through at least 41 substance abuse treatment clinics.
Many patients were recruited from homeless populations or Native American reservations, and clinics often provided little or no legitimate care. AHCCCS paid out roughly $564 million before the scene was uncovered. Ali personally received about $24.5 million and used some proceeds to purchase luxury real estate in Dubai.
In another prosecution, Phoenix residents Alexandra Gehrke and her husband Jeffery King were sentenced to 15.5 years and 14 years in prison, for orchestrating a massive wound graft fraud scheme. Between November 2022 and May 2024, they and co-conspirators submitted over $1.2 billion in false or fraudulent claims to Medicare and other insurers for medically unnecessary bioengineered skin substitutes applied to elderly and terminally ill patients — often through illegal kickbacks and regardless of medical need.
Federal programs paid out nearly $615 million. Authorities seized substantial assets from the couple, including $97 million from bank accounts, luxury vehicles, life insurance annuities, cash, and gold and silver.
Mayes also referenced a prior $2.5 billion Medicaid fraud scheme involving fraudulent sober living homes targeting Native Americans, from which the state recovered only about 5% of losses. Her office has since launched a $6 million grant program to assist affected tribal nations.
The new Strike Force builds on these successes and addresses emerging threats identified by Scott Lampert, Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Lampert pointed to “sham operations designed to appear legitimate while exploiting patients and inflating claims through increasingly sophisticated methods.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | May 20, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Arizona Police Association endorsed Republican Congressman Juan Ciscomani this week as renewed scrutiny emerged over past comments by Democratic congressional candidate JoAnna Mendoza supporting reallocating police funding.
The endorsement comes as Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District is expected to remain one of the nation’s most competitive House races heading into the 2026 election cycle.
According to a report published by the Arizona Globe, Mendoza is facing renewed criticism following the resurfacing of comments made during a June 11, 2020, debate hosted by the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission for Legislative District 11 candidates.
In footage cited by the report, Mendoza discussed policing and public safety amid the nationwide unrest surrounding policing in 2020.
“Seeing a police officer is fear,” Mendoza said during the debate. “There are hundreds of murders at the hands of police brutality.”
The report also cited additional statements attributed to Mendoza criticizing law enforcement and immigration enforcement operations. According to statements circulated by Republican operatives this year and referenced in the report, Mendoza said law enforcement officials “are not going out to catch criminals, as a matter of fact, it’s the complete opposite. And they’re even killing American citizens.”
“Reallocating funds from the police is the same as defunding the police, and everyone with a brain knows that,” RNC spokesman Nick Poche said in a statement, according to the Globe. “Mendoza thinks Arizonans are stupid, but her rabid anti-law enforcement rhetoric speaks for itself, and voters know she’s a defund the police extremist who hates law enforcement.”
The Arizona Globe report stated Mendoza also advocated reallocating portions of police funding toward other community programs during the 2020 debate, aligning with positions associated with the national “defund the police” movement that gained prominence following the death of George Floyd.
Meanwhile, Ciscomani secured the Arizona Police Association’s endorsement this week. In a statement released by the campaign, the organization cited Ciscomani’s record on border security, public safety, and support for law enforcement officers.
Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District remains one of the key battleground districts nationally as Republicans seek to maintain control of the U.S. House and Democrats attempt to reclaim a majority. Ciscomani first won the seat in 2022 and was reelected in 2024 following closely contested races.
In a district where public safety and border security remain major voter concerns, Republicans are likely to use Mendoza’s resurfaced comments aggressively as they seek to hold the seat in 2026.
As of publication, Mendoza’s campaign had not publicly responded to the resurfaced video or criticism surrounding the remarks referenced in the Arizona Globe report.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Staff Reporter | May 19, 2026 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
The governing board president of the Paradise Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) endorsed a code term named in a federal indictment as a threat against President Donald Trump.
In a Facebook post, PVUSD governing board president Anthony “Tony” Pantera shared a picture reposted by “The 50501 Movement,” an anti-Trump Facebook group, depicting seashells and rocks forming the numbers “8647.”
The string of numbers refers to eliminating (to “86” someone) President Trump (the 47th president). The picture was the same one posted and later deleted by former FBI Director James Comey last May, who was indicted by the Trump administration in April over the message.
Comey posted the message after Trump survived multiple assassination attempts in 2024. He maintains innocence and denies that his post held any violent connotations.
The first and more serious of the two occurred in July 2024 at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. One supporter was killed by the would-be assassin, Thomas Crooks; two other attendees were injured, and one bullet struck Trump’s ear. Crooks fired eight shots before he was shot and killed by a member of the Secret Service.
A second assassination attempt occurred in September 2023 outside of Trump International Golf Club. That would-be assassin, Ryan Routh, was fired upon and fled before he could shoot at Trump. Routh was sentenced to life in prison in February.
In addition to the Pennsylvania and Florida assassination attempts, in late 2024 federal agents foiled an assassination plot against Trump by a Pakistani terrorist in Texas, Asif Merchant, who had been recruiting terrorists on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Trump recently was subjected to another assassination attempt several weeks ago at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Would-be assassin Cole Tomas Allen rushed the event and shot at agents; one federal agent was struck in his bulletproof vest, but nobody was harmed.
The term “86” has mixed meanings — while it signifies “getting rid of” someone, that can range from firing to murder.
One origin of the slang can be traced to a mob-era phrase, “80 miles out and six feet under,” meaning the person subjected to a mob hit would be made to go outside of civilization to be killed and buried: “80 miles out [from civilization] and [buried] six feet under[ground].” Another relates to the historical sizing of a grave: 86 inches for vaults, or eight feet long and six feet deep for a plot.
Other origins include the shooting down of enemy planes by F-86 fighter jets in the Korean War; Article 86 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice describing those who go AWOL; alphanumeric associations on rotary phones in which the number eight was “T” and the number six was “O,” short for throwing out; old bartender traditions of serving less potent, 86-proof liquor to drunken patrons rather than 100-proof.
Mixed origins of the phrase aside, the Trump administration took Comey’s post as a threat of violence against Trump. A grand jury agreed and issued a two-count indictment against Comey. The indictment found that Comey knowingly and willfully made a threat to inflict bodily harm or kill Trump.
Pantera first took office in 2023. Prior to joining the governing board, Pantera taught in PVUSD for over 40 years.
Community members have called for Pantera to resign over his endorsement of Comey’s message.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | May 19, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The Maricopa County Superior Court ruled that Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller violated the law by entering an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The agreement — the 287(g) Task Force Model initiated last August — empowered Pinal County law enforcement to exercise certain federal immigration enforcement powers. This arrangement heavily relied on information-sharing to assist ICE with locating and arresting illegal aliens.
The Pinal County Board of Supervisors disapproved of the agreement. The supervisors contended that Miller needed their permission to enter into such an agreement, citing limitations within the state constitution and statute.
Outside counsel brought on by the county concurred with their view, but the Phoenix ICE Field Office said the 287(g) agreement could only be ended by either Miller or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). When Miller refused to renege on the agreement, the supervisors initiated the legal action which culminated in Friday’s ruling.
During the hearing on Friday, Superior Court Judge Michael Gordon said Miller had exceeded his authority and intruded upon Pinal County Sheriff Ross Teeple’s authority.
Miller said in response to Friday’s ruling that the decision would allow for the continued victimization of Pinal County residents at the hands of criminal illegal aliens.
“[W]e must now wait until those individuals create another victim and end up back in jail on a new charge under the Sheriff’s Jail Agreement,” stated Miller.
Miller said he is “strongly considering” an appeal.
Board Chairman Jeffrey McClure’s response was that their lawsuit didn’t represent a rejection of immigration enforcement, but rather a rejection of Miller’s claim to authority.
“This Board has supported federal authorities and immigration enforcement for years. This lawsuit is about whether elected officials must follow Arizona law, respect the limits of their office and properly safeguard taxpayer dollars,” said McClure. “We support law enforcement partnerships that are properly authorized and fiscally sound.”
Teeple confirmed his office works and shares information with ICE on a daily basis.
The board approved a 287(g) agreement for Pinal County Sheriff’s Office regarding county jail assistance.
Earlier this week, Teeple and McClure claimed in a joint public letter that Miller’s ICE agreement wasted and abused taxpayer funds, and had diverted county attorney investigators from criminal prosecution support to federal immigration enforcement.
“Our position is clear: Mr. Miller has hired staff for new jobs that were never authorized, offered salaries that were never approved, and used public resources in ways that raise grave safety concerns,” stated Teeple and McClure. “[The county attorney’s] office prosecutes cases under Arizona law and represents county officials in civil matters. When those boundaries are crossed, it creates legal conflict, financial risk, and confusion that ultimately harms the public.”
Ahead of Friday’s hearing and ruling, Miller shared an X post advocating for the arrest of the board of supervisors for obstruction.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | May 19, 2026 | Economy, News
By Staff Reporter |
Arizona’s rising marriage rate is having a positive impact on its poverty rate, according to a new study.
The Center for Arizona Policy (CAP) and the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) published a 75-page report last week assessing the impact of family structures on childhood outcomes, academic performance, and community prosperity across the state.
CAP said the report indicated marriage to be an exceedingly powerful, though heavily underutilized, anti-poverty and life success tool.
Since the first year of the pandemic, 2020, Arizona rose from 39th to 35th on the nation’s Family Structure Index, which measures healthy family structure trends.
In 2011, 58 percent of children in Arizona lived with married parents. In 2024, that number rose to 62 percent.
From 2022 to 2024, 85 percent of Arizona children ages six to 17 living with married parents received A’s and B’s in class, whereas only 64 to 65 percent of children in that age range who lived with a single mother or other family structures received those higher grades.
15 percent of Arizona children living with married biological parents received poor grades (mostly B’s and C’s or lower). Comparatively, over one-third of children from single-mother or other homes received those poorer grades.
Additionally, reading proficiency scores tended to increase within districts with higher shares of married-couple households. 60 percent of students within the Higley Unified School District (HUSD) tested proficient in reading; 77 percent of households with children in that district have married parents.
The Flowing Wells Unified School District — which spends about 60 percent more per student on classroom support than HUSD — had a student reading proficiency rate of 35 percent aligning with its married-parent household with children rate of 54 percent.
The report found that the correlation between higher reading proficiency rates and higher marriage rates proved to be true regardless of race.
Marriage rates also proved to have an impact on Arizona children’s mental health. In non-intact families, girls were 60 percent more likely to be depressed and boys were 57 percent more likely to be depressed.
Arizona children in intact homes were less likely to be living in poverty. Less than one in 10 children from married homes were found to be living in poverty, compared to more than one in five children with cohabitating parents and one in four children in single-mother homes.
Unlike with academic outcomes, race did appear to have an impact on poverty. White children in Arizona had starkly lower poverty rates within both married and unmarried households than non-white children.
Three percent of white children living in intact homes were in poverty in Arizona, compared to 14 percent of Hispanic children, 20 percent of Native American children, and 22 percent of black children.
15 percent of white children living in non-intact homes were in poverty in Arizona, compared to 23 percent of Hispanic children, 27 percent of Native American children, and 31 percent of black children.
CAP President Peter Gentala said in a press release that Arizona, historically a frontier state, has a new frontier with building families.
“The American Dream — the Arizona Dream — is still within reach for every Arizonan, and strong families are how we get there together,” said Gentala. “This report isn’t partisan. It’s a data-driven invitation to every Arizonan who cares about the future of our state.”
The report, titled “Renewing Arizona Families: Why Strong Families Are Central to Arizona’s Future,” was co-produced with University of Virginia researcher and National Marriage Project director W. Bradford Wilcox.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
