by Matthew Holloway | Dec 5, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The murder and attempted murder of West Virginia National Guard Soldiers Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, by Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, in November is being investigated as a possible act of international terrorism. The attack on the soldiers seems to align with warnings the Biden administration was given in 2021 by then-prosecutor with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, Congressman Abe Hamadeh.
The latest reports from Washington, D.C., indicate that Beckstrom and Wolfe were shot in what law enforcement officials are calling a “targeted” attack near the Farragut West Metro station near the White House. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro told a press conference that both Guard members had been sworn in to assist with the ongoing crime suppression efforts in the nation’s Capitol for less than 24 hours, according to Fox News. She described a “brazen and targeted attack,” and said the Guard members were “ambushed.”
“A lone gunman opened fire without provocation, ambush style,” Pirro told reporters. “Armed with a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver, one Guardsman is struck, goes down, and then the shooter leans over and strikes the Guardsmen again. Another Guardsman is struck several times.” Nearby Guard members rushed the assailant; one opened fire, and they quickly subdued the attacker.
Pirro told reporters, “This is what happens in this country when people are allowed in, who are not properly vetted.”
President Donald Trump informed the nation last Thursday evening that U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom of Summersville, one of the West Virginia National Guard members ambushed in Washington, D.C., had passed away from her injuries, in post to X.
According to Reuters, the suspect first entered the U.S. in September 2021, as part of the Biden administration’s Afghan resettlement program: Operation Allies Welcome, the very program Hamadeh wrote about in a 2021 op-ed for the Arizona Republic. The suspect had worked with the CIA in Afghanistan as far back as at least 2011 and was granted asylum in April of this year. “In terms of vetting, nothing came up,” an unnamed senior U.S. official told Fox News. “He was clean on all checks.”
Hamadeh’s op-ed offered a troubling, almost prescient warning to the Biden administration after the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He cautioned that a string of incidents that year created “concern whether the Biden administration is doing enough to vet refugees arriving on American soil.” He noted, “We need to do more rigorous checks.”
The reports that Lakanwal passed “all checks” would seem to support Hamadeh and Pirro’s conclusion.
“By not properly vetting refugees, we do a disservice to the Afghans who served with us. No vetting is foolproof, and bad actors may still go undetected. However, a proper vetting process can greatly reduce the risk,” Hamadeh wrote. He added, “The State Department has identified Phoenix as a top destination for refugees. Arizonans are generous, and a vast majority of Arizonans agree that the United States should accept Afghan refugees who assisted us in the U.S.-led NATO mission.”
Hamadeh went on to describe newly implemented security vetting that included: “biometrics, biographical and social media data collection,” stating, “This process is rigorous and can take weeks and months to complete, and is similar to the process that Afghan refugees should be undergoing right now.”
He warned that the Biden administration instead insisted upon releasing the Afghan refugees “to their permanent states after only four weeks on U.S. military installations.” He commented, “Americans should be skeptical that tens of thousands of refugees here on humanitarian parole status could be thoroughly vetted in that short amount of time.”
Hamadeh concluded: “Arizona leaders should also demand answers from the federal government and require that the vetting process is shared between federal and state officials in order to ensure the safety of Arizonans.”
As of this report, West Virginia National Guard Member Wolfe remains hospitalized in serious condition. The suspect was also hospitalized due to his injuries and remains there under heavy guard.
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 | Dec 2, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Congressman Abe Hamadeh warned that Senator Mark Kelly’s advice to military members to refuse “unlawful” orders amounted to blackmail.
Hamadeh added in a statement on X that Kelly had jeopardized military readiness with this vague, alleged threat.
“By suggesting there ‘could’ be severe consequences for carrying out undefined ‘unlawful’ orders, the ‘Seditious Six’ are emotionally blackmailing our active-duty personnel,” said Hamadeh. “They want them to hesitate before protecting the American people. Reprehensible.”
Last month, Kelly and five other Democratic members of Congress with military and intelligence community backgrounds issued a call to action to the military to stand down on “illegal” orders from President Donald Trump.
This group — dubbed the “Seditious Six” by Hamadeh and other Republicans — indicated that some orders from Trump and his administration violated the laws or the Constitution and were therefore illegal.
“We want to speak directly to members of the military and the intelligence community who take risks each day to keep Americans safe. We know you are under enormous stress and pressure right now. Americans trust their military. But that trust is at risk,” said the elected officials. “This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens. Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution. Right now, the threats to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad but from right here at home. Our laws are clear: you can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders.”
The others in the “Seditious Six” are Senators Elissa Slotkin (MI) and Representatives Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan (PA), Maggie Goodlander (NH), and Jason Crow (CO). Slotkin posted the video.
Hamadeh claimed Kelly and the other elected officials were intentionally ambiguous about which orders from Trump were allegedly illegal.
“The reason Democrats refuse to name what they consider to be illegal orders by President Trump is that they want our military and intelligence community to question every order they receive from this administration,” said Hamadeh. “They want to make our active-duty personnel hesitate to execute the agenda voted for by the American people, paralyzing these men and women with the threat of future punishment.”
After the release of the video, Slotkin admitted she couldn’t name any military orders by Trump which were illegal.
“To my knowledge, I’m not aware of things that are illegal but certainly there are some legal gymnastics going on with these Caribbean strikes and everything going on with Venezuela,” said Slotkin in an interview with ABC’s “This Week” segment.
Slotkin clarified later in the interview that the video was primarily meant for addressing the use of the military within American cities.
“So, it was basically a warning to say, like, if you’re asked to do something particularly against American citizens, you have the ability to go to your JAG officer and push back,” said Slotkin.
President Trump said Kelly and the Democratic members within the video had committed “seditious behavior.” He called for the six to be arrested and put on trial, and reposted another user’s commentary (since deleted) that called for hangings.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Nov 30, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Senate President and AG candidate Warren Petersen says that Democrat Attorney General Kris Mayes is overseeing a “culture of corruption,” pointing to a federal probe request and the arrest of a top aide as signs of a deepening crisis inside the Attorney General’s Office.
In a statement emailed by his campaign, Petersen said a “pattern of misconduct, corruption, and political weaponization” had taken root under Mayes and now represents “a betrayal of public trust” for Arizona families, law enforcement, and state institutions.
Petersen highlighted two recent developments: a formal request from U.S. Rep. Abe Hamadeh for a federal investigation into alleged bribery and prosecutorial misconduct and the arrest of Mayes’ state government division chief, Vanessa Hickman, on felony charges linked to stolen property.
Hamadeh Seeks Federal Probe Into Alleged ‘Pay-to-Play’ Scheme
Petersen’s statement leans heavily on a recent move by Congressman Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ08), who has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate what he calls a “coordinated bribery and prosecutorial misconduct scheme” involving Mayes, the Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA), and the States United Democracy Center (SUDC).
In a detailed letter, Hamadeh pointed to court filings in the ongoing alternate electors prosecution and alleged that DAGA sent a total of $200,000 to Mayes’ political operation during key points in the case:
- $50,000 shortly after Mayes retained SUDC in May 2023
- $150,000 shortly after indictments were announced in April 2024
Hamadeh argued that the timing raises “significant concerns about quid pro quo arrangements,” and criticized what he described as an “unprecedented attorney-client relationship” between the Attorney General’s Office and SUDC, a politically aligned nonprofit tied to national Democratic legal networks.
“Many of the individuals involved in this scheme have engaged in highly questionable activity, and as I wrote in my letter to Attorney General Bondi, their rogue and unethical conduct is not isolated to Arizona,” Hamadeh said.
“As a former prosecutor, it is unimaginable to me that these officers of the court allegedly conspired to deny citizens their fundamental constitutional rights. Yet, it appears that is exactly what happened.”
The Department of Justice has not publicly indicated whether it will open a formal investigation, and Mayes’ office has not yet issued a direct response to Hamadeh’s allegations, according to recent coverage.
Mayes Division Chief Arrested on Felony Charges
The second case cited by Petersen is the arrest of Vanessa Hickman, who served as state government division chief under Mayes. Hickman was arrested last week by U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents and faces two felony counts of “controlling and trafficking stolen property” tied to a misdelivered package containing roughly $40,000 in jewelry, according to Phoenix New Times.
In a statement to the outlet, Mayes’s spokesman, Richie Taylor, said, “The allegations against Ms. Hickman are serious for any state employee, particularly someone in a leadership position.”
Hickman was placed on administrative leave after federal authorities notified the Attorney General’s Office of the investigation, and later resigned. However, she was still listed on the agency’s website as of this week, the Times reported.
Petersen argued that Hickman’s brush with the law was preceded by “serious allegations against Hickman—including fraud, conversion, and breach of fiduciary duty.”
“Mayes’ office had been warned by the city of Peoria nearly two years earlier about serious allegations against Hickman—including fraud, conversion, and breach of fiduciary duty—yet Mayes kept her in a position of authority,” the statement said.
Before joining Mayes’ team in January 2023, Hickman served as Peoria’s city attorney. The City of Peoria later sued Hickman over a six-figure severance, accusing her of unjust enrichment linked to a $139,000 payout the city says she wasn’t entitled to, according to the Arizona Republic.
According to an Arizona Daily Independent report, Peoria Mayor Jason Beck sent a letter to Mayes in March warning about those allegations and urging the Attorney General to investigate. Mayes declined the request and dismissed it as a “political stunt.”
“These incidents are not accidents,” Petersen said of both the Hamadeh complaint and Hickman’s arrest. “They are the direct result of failed leadership and a culture of corruption that Kris Mayes has allowed to take root in the Attorney General’s Office.”
Hickman has previously pushed back on Peoria’s claims. She filed a defamation countersuit against city officials over their communications with Mayes’ office, which was dismissed by a Maricopa County Superior Court judge on Jan. 7, according to court records and local reporting per AZCentral.
The current criminal case against Hickman has been submitted to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for a charging decision. However, county prosecutors said they had not yet received it as of last week, according to Phoenix New Times.
“I will restore honesty, transparency, and integrity,” Petersen said in his release. “I will rebuild trust with law enforcement and put the full weight of the Attorney General’s Office back where it belongs—behind the safety, security, and rights of Arizona families. This race is about defending every neighborhood, rural community, border town, and law-abiding Arizonan.”
On his campaign site, Petersen frames his bid as an effort to “restore trust to Arizona’s Attorney General Office” and to enforce the law “as written—not based on politics or personal opinion,” emphasizing backing for law enforcement, crime-victim rights, and protecting Arizona’s sovereignty against “unconstitutional mandates, burdensome regulations, and attacks on our rights.”
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 Ethan Faverino | Nov 28, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
In a major show of support for America’s military heroes, Congressman Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ-08), alongside Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), has introduced two companion bills—the Service Members Tax Relief Act and the Tax Cuts for Veterans Act of 2025.
These bills would fully exempt all active-duty and reserve military income, as well as all service-related retirement payments and VA benefits, from federal income taxes.
The Service Member Tax Relief Act eliminates federal income tax on all pay received by active-duty and reserve members across the eight Federal Uniformed Services—including the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, NOAA, and Public Health Service Commissioned Corps—as well as their Reserve and National Guard components when on federal orders. This includes base pay, enlistment and retention bonuses, education incentives, and all special and incentive pay.
The companion bill, Tax Cuts for Veterans Act of 2025, amends Section 122 of the Internal Revenue Code to permanently exclude all military retirement pay, retainer pay (Titles 10 and 14), and VA compensation, disability, and survivor benefits (Titles 37 and 38) from federal taxation.
“These bills are in keeping with my commitment to America First principles and advances President Trump’s Peace Through Strength agenda by alleviating the burdens on our service members in some small measure,” said Congressman Hamadeh, a former Army Reserve intelligence officer. “Our service members face high operational demands and cost-of-living pressures that outpace pay tables. So, anything we can cost-effectively do to ease those pressures should be done.”
Senator Pete Ricketts added, “Our servicemembers and veterans sacrifice for the country. We owe them more than we can ever repay. That’s why I’m working to ensure these brave women and men keep all the benefits they earn during military service. We also need to make sure that service members are set up for success when they transition back to civilian life. These bills strengthen our support for Nebraska servicemembers, veterans, and their families.”
Congressman Hamadeh has quickly emerged as a leading voice for America’s veterans and active-duty troops. In September, the House unanimously passed two of his bipartisan bills: the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship Opportunity Act and the Health Professional Scholarship Program Improvement Act of 2025.
Congressman Hamadeh and Ricketts’ new bills are now pending in their respective chambers, already earning strong support from veteran advocacy organizations around the country.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Nov 16, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona’s House GOP members presented a unified front Wednesday as Congress ended the weeks-long federal government shutdown, criticizing Democrats for prioritizing politics over the disruptions it caused Arizonans. Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ08) delivered one of the sharpest rebukes, claiming Democrats triggered the shutdown by refusing to back a Continuing Resolution similar to extensions they supported under the Biden administration.
“Make no mistake about it; the Democrats’ disgusting shutdown was only about attacking President Trump. They didn’t care if Americans were collateral damage,” Hamadeh said.
He described spending Veterans Day with families and servicemembers in his district who faced suspended federal services, adding that many urged him to “hold the line” until a deal was reached.
Hamadeh described his team as “energized” as the government reopens, saying, “We know we have our work cut out for us as the nation recovers from the Democrats’ misguided shutdown. While my team has been staying on top of casework and legislation, the shutdown prevented us from having full access to the personnel and services taxpayers pay for. As a result, we are going to be working overtime to ensure that we minimize the damage the Democrats created. I encourage my constituents to reach out to my office for any assistance with federal agencies they might have.”
Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ02) echoed the criticism, describing the lapse in funding as “the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history.” Crane said the shutdown strained food banks, caused travel delays, and left rural families unsure whether they could access key services.
“Last night, I once again voted to fund the federal government. The American people should never be used as leverage to advance a political agenda,” said Rep. Crane. “To those who dealt with missed paychecks, worked without pay, and lived with great uncertainty, your determination and resolve are admirable. To the amazing people of rural Arizona who stood by one another during this challenge, I’m grateful for your strength and dedication to each other.”
In a post to X he wrote, “The American people should never be used as leverage to advance a political agenda.”
Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ06) faulted Democrats for rejecting what he called a “clean CR,” arguing that their last-minute demands forced the shutdown.
“Every single Democrat who voted against this clean CR voted for a government shutdown,” Ciscomani said in a statement. He told local reporters the standoff was driven by a “long wishlist of policy items” that Democratic leaders attempted to insert at the eleventh hour, “using our government as hostage to push their policy agenda through.”
Ciscomani visited with families in his district whose services were interrupted during the shutdown, including parents of disabled children and veterans dependent on federal support. He said he intends to monitor agency performance closely as operations resume.
The Tucson Republican soundly condemned Arizona Democrats in a post to X, “This shutdown was completely unnecessary and overdue to end. It’s disappointing to still see so many democrats, especially Arizonans, voting to remain shut down. “
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ05) issued his own statement praising the House’s vote to reopen the government, thanking conservatives who pressured leadership to reject Democratic terms and focus on fiscal restraint. Biggs applauded colleagues for what he called a “moment to permanently shrink the federal bureaucracy, restore constitutional limits, and return power to the states.”
The shutdown ended Wednesday after the House approved the Senate-passed funding package, and President Trump signed the bill into law, restoring government operations while avoiding the policy disputes that sank earlier versions. Democrats contend they rejected the previous CR because of Trump-aligned provisions and budget riders they argued would worsen long-term fiscal conditions.
Rep. Hamadeh framed the episode as senseless and revealing of Democrats’ priorities.
“The Democrats accomplished nothing with their senseless shutdown,” Hamadeh said, concluding, “except to show – without a doubt – that they do not put Americans first.”
As agencies reopen, GOP congressional offices across the state say they are preparing for an increase in casework as constituents attempt to navigate backlogged systems. Crane and Hamadeh both urged constituents to reach out as services begin returning to normal.
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.
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