The Republican National Committee is targeting Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) following reports that Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) is facing a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
The attack comes after Gomez publicly acknowledged an extramarital affair following reporting by the New York Post and amid reports that House investigators are reviewing allegations involving his conduct toward congressional staffers. Gomez has denied violating House rules and has maintained that any relationships were consensual.
In a statement distributed Wednesday, RNC Western Regional Communications Director Nick Poche sought to tie Gallego to Gomez and other congressional Democrats who have faced controversy.
“Ruben Gallego’s sick freak friends prey on women and employees. You are the company you keep, so Gallego needs to answer for what he’s seen, and the people around Gallego need to answer whether or not he is part of the problem as well,” Poche said.
According to the New York Post, Gomez admitted to an affair after initially denying reports concerning his personal conduct. The outlet also reported that allegations involving Gomez’s interactions with congressional staffers prompted a House Ethics Committee investigation. Gomez has disputed allegations that he engaged in misconduct and has stated that he did not violate House ethics rules.
As discussion of the allegations spread online, Brian Anderson of Saguaro Group and Arizona Capitol Oversight highlighted a resurfaced 2018 X exchange involving Gallego, Gomez, and Swalwell.
The RNC statement also referenced former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), another California Democrat who has faced scrutiny in recent years. Poche argued that Gallego’s political associations with Gomez and Swalwell warranted additional questions about the Arizona senator’s judgment and political alliances.
Gallego served alongside Gomez during his tenure in the U.S. House before winning election to the Senate in 2024. The RNC did not allege that Gallego engaged in any misconduct.
The new scrutiny also follows controversy surrounding Gallego’s comments on allegations of sexual conduct involving Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner raised by a Fox News report.
FIRST ON FOX: Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner's deleted Reddit account reveals graphic posts about masturbating in portable toilets and praising explicit military restroom graffiti — the latest in a growing trail of vulgar comments that could define his race… pic.twitter.com/oejepVCv9y
— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) May 19, 2026
In May, Gallego defended Platner, arguing in a post to X that some of the conduct being criticized reflected experiences and attitudes common in military culture. The remarks drew criticism from Republicans and became a point of contention in Arizona political circles.
As of publication, Gallego’s office had not publicly responded to the RNC statement.
No investigation was ever made concerning GOP congressional candidate and former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb by the Pinal County Attorney’s Office (PCAO), says the current administration.
PCAO made an announcement on Friday that disputed former County Attorney Kent Volkmer’s claim that PCAO had conducted a “cursory investigation” into Lamb under his leadership.
Volkmer made the claim to the Arizona Republic as part of their recent investigative report into accusations that Lamb threatened the women he’d engaged in affairs with over the years. Volkmer alleged his office acted on Lamb’s request to investigate possible criminal charges for two women speaking out about his affairs.
Volkmer also alleged that the supposed cursory investigation didn’t lead to any possibility of criminal charges.
PCAO said it could find no records of reports, investigative summaries, witness interviews, referrals due to conflict, or documented findings that could verify Volkmer’s claim. PCAO said their discovery indicated potential issues with the due diligence of past county leadership.
“Even a limited or ‘cursory’ investigation would ordinarily generate some form of documentation or investigative notes. At this time, the PCAO has not located any such records in its files,” stated the PCAO. “[R]equests for investigations by Sheriff Lamb should have been formally documented, appropriately reviewed, and, if necessary, referred out to avoid any appearance of bias or conflict of interest.”
However, PCAO did find records indicating that Volkmer’s office received word on allegations against Lamb over six years ago and failed to act.
In January 2020, the Pinal County Board of Supervisors received a packet of information outlining allegations of sexual impropriety by Lamb. The packet contained nearly 40 pages of text message screenshots and photographs to support the allegations. Tim Gustafson, a local pastor running to unseat Lamb — who was county sheriff at the time — gave the board the packet.
Per board meeting records, the board asked PCAO to review potential limitations to speech in public sessions concerning sexual topics. A deputy county attorney with the PCAO at the time promised to look into the matter.
County Attorney Brad Miller has denied that he was behind the rumor that Lamb was a “swinger” as well as a sexter.
Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05), whose district Lamb is hoping to represent, told KTAR in an interview last week that he would “reserve judgment” on the accusations against Lamb. Biggs is leaving Congress to try to unseat Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.
Both Biggs and Lamb are both members of the Mormon church.
As new developments continue to emerge regarding the sex scandal allegations against Lamb, the former sheriff declined to appear for the Arizona Clean Elections Commission’s Republican primary debate for the 5th Congressional District on Thursday.
Only Lamb’s primary contender, a Christian builder named Daniel Keenan, appeared for the debate. Keenan discussed his campaign platform for nearly half of an hour.
There are three Democratic candidates vying to flip Biggs’ seat: Brian Hualde, Chris James, and Elizabeth Lee.
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Arizona House Majority Leader Michael Carbone (R-LD25) has endorsed Congressman Andy Biggs for Governor, praising his proven ability to unite lawmakers and advance conservative priorities through collaboration with the Legislature.
Carbone, who represents Maricopa County’s West Valley, becomes the 44th current or former state legislator to publicly back Biggs and the first member of State House leadership to do so.
“We need conservative leadership ready to work with the Legislature and advance policies that bring down the cost of living on Arizonans so our state can prosper,” stated Carbone. “Andy Biggs is the best choice to do that from day one as Governor. He understands the legislative process at the Capitol and knows what it takes to make our state thrive. He’ll be a great advocate for the West Valley and for all of Arizona as Governor.”
Carbone also joins the growing list of West Valley elected officials supporting Biggs, including U.S. Congressman Abe Hamadeh, Maricopa County Supervisor Debbie Lesko, Arizona State Senator Janae Shamp, and Arizona State Representatives Nick Kupper, Lisa Fink, Michele Peña, David Livingston, and Beverly Pingerelli.
“Majority Leader Carbone has been a champion for thoughtful conservative policies, like expanding our nuclear capabilities to bring utility costs down and supporting pro-growth policies for our Arizona small businesses,” said Congressman Biggs. “Our campaign is focused on building out our support amongst Republican leaders and voters with a positive vision that brings our party together. With less than three weeks until ballots go out for the Republican primary election, we are well prepared for a victory on July 21st before defeating Katie Hobbs in November.”
Biggs has consistently maintained a commanding lead in the Republican primary field, according to multiple independent polls conducted since September 2025. A survey by NextGen Polling found Biggs ahead by 42%, while Emerson College showed him leading by 33%. GrayHouse reported a 24% advantage and Pulse Decision likewise found Biggs leading by 24%.
The most recent poll, conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, lists Biggs leading the Republican primary field by 30%. The study, conducted May 5-7, 2026, among 996 registered voters in Arizona including 375 registers Republicans, shows Biggs rising to 48% — up from 40% in February.
Biggs leads across key GOP demographics, including:
Men: 50% Biggs – 21% Schweikert
Women: 46% – 15%
Voters Aged 65+: 57% – 17%
Conservatives: 52% – 16%
Trump Supporters: 55% – 16%
Hispanic Republicans: 57% – 9%
Biggs is the only candidate in the Arizona Republican gubernatorial primary endorsed by both President Trump and the late Charlie Kirk. Additional high-profile support includes endorsements from Turning Point CEO Erika Kirk, Arizona Congressmen Eli Crane, Paul Gosar, Abe Hamadeh, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and Maricopa County Supervisors Debbie Lesko and Mark Stewart.
Biggs has also secured backing from influential conservative organizations including Turning Point Action, Moms for America Action, and Gun Owners of America-Arizona Chapter. Law enforcement support includes former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller, the Arizona Law Enforcement Association, and the Arizona Council of Prisons Locals.
Rep. Biggs leads all Republican gubernatorial candidates in fundraising, with $2.7 million raised and $1.1 million cash on hand, an advantage of more than 10:1 over his closest primary competitor. He has set multiple personal funding records throughout the 2026 cycle.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The Arizona Auditor General found that Apache Elementary School District (AESD) improperly received state funding for out-of-state students and more than $27,500 in excess transportation funding, while raising concerns about employee benefits, technology controls, and the future viability of the eight-student district.
The Auditor General’s Office also reported that one audit finding was omitted from the public report because of its “sensitive nature” and was communicated directly to the district’s governing board and management.
According to the audit highlights, AESD, located on the Arizona-New Mexico state border, served just eight students during fiscal year 2024, with four of those students residing in neighboring New Mexico. Auditors found the district failed to comply with state requirements governing the admission and reporting of out-of-state students and improperly received state funding for those students. The report recommended that the district evaluate operational alternatives given the small number of Arizona students it serves.
The audit found that the district improperly claimed funding for out-of-state students and failed to charge tuition as required by state law. Auditors also concluded that the district improperly reported transportation miles associated with transporting out-of-state students to and from their homes in New Mexico, along with other reporting errors.
The report stated that the district “paid parents to transport students but did not ensure that all reported mileage and transported students were eligible for State funding and reported data was accurate.”
According to the report, those errors resulted in the district receiving more than $27,500 in excess transportation funding during fiscal year 2025 that it will likely be required to repay to the state.
The Auditor General recommended that the district work with the Arizona Department of Education to correct its student enrollment and transportation reporting errors and ensure future compliance with state requirements. Auditors also recommended that if the district continues admitting out-of-state students, it should charge tuition in accordance with state law.
In addition to the funding issues, auditors found that the district may have violated the Arizona Constitution’s Gift Clause by providing unauthorized fringe benefits to two employees. According to the report, the benefits were not included in employee contracts and were not approved by the district’s governing board prior to being provided. Auditors recommended that the district consult legal counsel to determine whether a Gift Clause violation occurred and, if so, report its determination to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
The audit also identified deficiencies in the district’s cash-handling procedures. Auditors reported that the district did not consistently prepare receipts when cash was collected and did not always make deposits in accordance with required timelines, increasing the risk of loss or theft.
The report further found weaknesses in the district’s information technology controls. According to auditors, employees and external users had excessive access to sensitive computerized data, while the district lacked comprehensive system monitoring, security awareness training, and an IT contingency plan. The Auditor General concluded that these deficiencies increased the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information, data loss, errors, and fraud.
Auditors also recommended that the district work with the Cochise County School Superintendent’s Office to evaluate alternative operational structures. Potential options identified in the report include consolidating with another school district, operating as a transportation school district, or dissolving the district and requiring students to attend a nearby district.
The report noted that the majority of the district’s administrative spending was “for superintendent and business manager salaries and benefits.”
According to the Auditor General, the district’s governing board had three filled positions during fiscal year 2024, though one board member later resigned and only two of the three positions were filled when the report was issued in May 2026. The district’s small enrollment prevented the Arizona Department of Education from assigning a school letter grade or publicly reporting student achievement data in order to protect student privacy.
In its formal response to Arizona Auditor General Lindsey Perry, AESD agreed with the audit findings and stated it has already begun implementing corrective actions. Superintendent Loy Ann Guzman wrote, “While some recommendations already have been implemented, the district will continue to work diligently to complete administration of the remaining items and will work to improve the processes and procedures moving forward.”
The district reported that it has instituted procedures requiring proof of residency for enrolled students, worked with the Arizona Department of Education to correct enrollment reporting errors, and does not currently plan to admit out-of-state students. The district also agreed to evaluate operational alternatives with the Cochise County School Superintendent’s Office, review potential Gift Clause issues with legal counsel, improve cash-handling procedures, and implement additional information technology safeguards.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors gained a new ally in their ongoing court battle against Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap over elections authority.
The board received a supporting brief from a former longtime Maricopa County recorder, Helen Purcell.
Purcell, a Republican, filed the 57-page brief with the help of the States United Democracy Center (SUDC) — the same organization that colluded with Attorney General Kris Mayes to prosecute 2020 allies of President Donald Trump.
Purcell’s brief said that the board wasn’t mandated by statute to delegate election administration duties to the recorder but instead retained the power of discretionary judgment to award that authority based on whether the recorder was “cooperative and experienced,” and proving to “serv[e] the interests of the county and its voters.”
Further on, Purcell made the case that the court should “preserve the status quo” by keeping elections authority with the board, due to the nearness of the primary election set to take place next month. She referenced a Supreme Court case involving her, Purcell v. Gonzalez, and the resulting “Purcell Principle”: that courts shouldn’t modify election rules too close to an election.
Purcell also claimed that state law designating elections authority was ambiguous, and that the trial court that ruled in Heap’s favor had established “a blanket hierarchy” not imposed by the law.
“[That ruling declared that] the recorder controls every function where the office is named, and the ‘other officer’ serves only at the recorder’s discretion,” stated Purcell. “That construction disregards the historical and operational context against which these statutes were enacted, and […] would produce results the legislature could not have intended, stripping away the flexibility the legislature built into the statutory scheme.”
Instead, Purcell said the recorder and board each maintained direct authority over certain functions, and shared some. Recorder functions included voter registration and early ballot signature verification, and board functions included Election Day operations, ballot tabulation, and jurisdictional elections, said Purcell, and the two shared functions like chain of custody documentation.
Although Purcell departed from the recorder’s office nearly 10 years ago, she is no stranger to reentering the muddy waters of election-related disputes. Purcell served as county recorder from 1988 to 2017.
Purcell filed a joint brief in support of maintaining a ranked choice voting ballot initiative in 2024 with former state lawmaker Ken Bennett. Another former recorder for Maricopa County, Stephen Richer, also filed a brief in support of the initiative.
Ranked choice voting would require voters to rank every candidate on their ballot. Only the candidate to earn 50% of the vote would be declared the winner. Otherwise, voters would have to enter additional rounds of voting until a candidate breaks 50%.
Gov. Katie Hobbs appointed Purcell as co-chair of an elections task force her first year in office, and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes praised Purcell for the ensuing report. Hobbs ultimately allocated over $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for elections-related initiatives proposed by the task force for the 2024 election. ARPA funds were initially meant for economic stimulus efforts pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Republican lawmakers criticized the task force at the time for its “secretive” conduct, and alleged that the task force was Hobbs’ way of circumventing statutory requirements to modify election law and procedures.
The task force was also rumored to be influenced by SUDC.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Purcell and Bennett filed a joint brief in support of ranked choice voting. That statement has been corrected.
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Ranchers in Arizona and across the nation secured a step toward a potentially major grazing rights victory from the federal government following the intervention of a coalition of Arizona’s Republican congressmen.
Republican Reps. Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Eli Crane (AZ-02), and Paul Gosar (AZ-09) successfully petitioned the Department of the Interior (DOI) to issue a newly proposed grazing rule that purports to give ranchers greater flexibility and security for their work.
Biggs offered his support for this proposed rule, announced by the DOI on Monday. Biggs promised to Arizonans in a press release that the rule would prioritize American ranchers and food security.
“Under the previous administration, cattle ranchers were forced to reduce their herd counts because of federal mandates and orders cutting public grazing land use. This administration knows how critical it is to protect our great ranchers and allow these families to provide abundant food to the American people.”
DOI Secretary Doug Burgum issued a similar commitment to ranchers about the impact of the rule.
“For too long, ranchers and land managers have been forced to work under outdated rules that do not match today’s challenges,” said Burgum. “President Trump has made it clear that we must cut red tape, support the people who feed our nation and ensure our public lands remain healthy for future generations. These updates will help us do exactly that.”
The proposed rule promises to streamline grazing administration and expand rangeland health standards. As part of this approach, the Bureau of Land Management was directed to update definitions, simplify processes, and clarify regulatory language.
Last December, Biggs sent a letter requesting actionable support on expanding and rebuilding American cattle to Burgum, Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins, Forest Service Chief Tim Schultz, and Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik.
Ciscomani, Crane, and Gosar signed onto Biggs’ letter, which asked the agency heads to resist influencing from “extreme environmental causes.” Certain environmental advocates — most in progressive circles — believe cattle grazing to be environmentally devastating.
“Ranchers are not the problem. They are the solution,” said Biggs. “Yet outdated regulations and false claims continue to punish them, while predators such as the Mexican wolf devastate herds under the shield of a misapplied endangered species designation.”
Biggs claimed that he’d received reports of cattle ranchers forced to reduce herd counts due to government mandates and orders impacting the use of public grazing lands, and asked the agencies to review their processes, rules, and regulations for adverse impacts on American ranchers.
“At a time when rebuilding the domestic cattle herd is vital to our food security and rural livelihoods, these mandates are unacceptable,” wrote Biggs.
U.S. cattle operations have been on the decline for nearly a decade despite increased demand — the lowest in over 70 years. USDA reporting from last year reflected that cattle operations dropped by 17% while demand grew by 10%.
Biggs echoed the sentiments of blame regularly expressed by the average American rancher: increasing pressures from bureaucratic red tape magnifying other issues like the rising costs of supplies, namely feed, and environmental pressures, namely drought.
The DOI will continue to gather public input for the proposed rule affecting grazing management on public lands until July 13. The BLM is scheduled to host a virtual information session about the proposed rule on June 11 from 5 to 7 p.m. MT.
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