by Staff Reporter | Oct 6, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
A varied coalition of political voices will be the newest contributors to the Arizona Republic opinions page.
Those joining as representatives of the center and the right are former Maricopa County recorder Stephen Richer, former state lawmaker Paul Boyer, and Goldwater Institute vice president Timothy Sandefur.
Those joining from the left are Navajo Nation member and founder and director of Arizona Native Vote Jaynie Parrish, and the founder, CEO, and board chair of Aliento Reyna Montoya.
Since losing reelection to the recorder’s office, former Maricopa County recorder Stephen Richer has joined multiple leftist organizations including: States United Democracy Center (board member), State Democracy Defenders Fund (board member), and Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center Reimagining Democracy Program (senior fellow). Last year, Richer announced his intention to vote for Joe Biden over Donald Trump.
Goldwater Institute leader Timothy Sandefur’s latest opinion urges for laws to come from Congress again, not presidential dictate, citing former President Joe Biden’s executive order prohibiting farming and mining on one million acres of northern Arizona land and President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Sandefur was previously a litigator with the Pacific Legal Foundation.
Both Richer and Sandefur are adjunct scholars with the Cato Institute.
While in the legislature, former state lawmaker Paul Boyer maintained his stance as an independent among Republicans. Boyer introduced the bill that successfully became law allowing in-state tuition and financial aid to illegal immigrant students. Boyer also consistently stood against the Republican flock when it came to supporting election integrity bills.
Boyer maintains he left the legislature following death threats for his resistance to election legislation advanced by fellow Republicans. Presently, he teaches Latin at Heritage Academy Schools.
Both Boyer and Richer were on the board of Save Democracy Arizona, a now-defunct nonprofit that aimed to make primary elections nonpartisan through a ballot initiative.
Boyer made an unsuccessful run for Glendale mayor last year.
Arizona Native Vote leader Jaynie Parrish was previously the executive director for Navajo County Democrats and social media manager for abortion activist group EMILY’s List. Arizona Native Vote runs ballot curing, voter registration, and voter education campaigns. Like Richer, Parris attended the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Parrish has made clear the goal is to mobilize Native American voters for Democratic candidates.
“We are fighting against structures that weren’t built for us. They weren’t meant for us there. They were trying to kill us all. We’re not supposed to be here,” Parrish said. “We’re not supposed to be voters.”
Parrish’s latest opinion piece advocated for voter reform benefiting tribal communities.
The nonprofit led by Montoya, a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), provides illegal immigrants with plans to counter immigration enforcement efforts and resources to evade immigration enforcement. Montoya received seed money from George Soros’ Open Society Institute.
Montoya was 10 years old when her mother smuggled her from Tijuana, Mexico, into the state. Montoya has expressed concerns that she will be deported under Trump.
Montoya worked closely alongside Boyer for the passage of in-state tuition and financial aid for illegal immigrants.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by AZ Free Enterprise Club | Sep 25, 2025 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
Taxpayer-funded resources should not be used to tilt the scales of any election. This isn’t a difficult concept to understand. So, when Arizona State University (ASU) and PBS were exposed for colluding to help Katie Hobbs in the 2022 governor’s race against Kari Lake, we demanded accountability. We called on Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell to launch a full investigation. After all, Arizona law is clear that universities must remain impartial and neutral in election-related activities.
In a ridiculous decision, both Mayes and Mitchell refused to take action on our complaint. But this battle is far from over.
The Illegal Use of Public Funds
This all began back in 2022 when Katie Hobbs was ducking just about everyone during her campaign for governor, most especially Kari Lake. It culminated in Hobbs’ refusal to debate Lake on Arizona PBS. From there, the process should’ve been simple. According to long-standing Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission (AZCCEC) rules, Kari Lake should have been provided with airtime, and the AZCCEC planned to do just that. But hours before Lake’s interview was scheduled to take place, the AZCCEC learned that Arizona PBS went behind their back to schedule an exclusive interview with Katie Hobbs—moving them to postpone Lake’s interview.
Then, last month, a series of emails came to light revealing that ASU leaders including President Michael Crow, former Arizona Republic publisher Mi-Ai Parrish, and Arizona PBS leaders allegedly colluded to jettison the debate rules to help Hobbs. This was a blatant and illegal use of taxpayer funds, and that’s why we filed a Hatch Act complaint with Mayes and Mitchell against ASU. But in a shocking and shameful decision, both decided against taking action…
>>> CONTINUE READING >>>
by Ethan Faverino | Sep 18, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
The Arizona Free Enterprise Club escalated its call for accountability, urging the County Attorneys of Mohave, Pinal, and Yuma Counties to launch investigations into Arizona State University (ASU) leadership for allegedly manipulating 2022 gubernatorial debate rules to favor Democratic Katie Hobbs over Republican Kari Lake.
The action follows a complaint filed by the Club in August 2025, with the Arizona Attorney General and Maricopa County Attorney, which was dismissed without a thorough review, prompting a broader push for enforcement under state law.
In a sharply worded letter addressed to the Mohave County Attorney Matt Smith, Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller, and Yuma County Attorney Karolyn Kaczorowski, Club President Scot Mussi detailed evidence of ASU’s deviation from established debate protocols, accusing university officials of using public resources to influence the election in violation of A.R.S. § 15-1633.
The statute states: “A person acting on behalf of a university or a person who aids another person acting on behalf of a university shall not spend or use university resources for the purpose of influencing the outcomes of elections or to advocate support for or opposition to pending or proposed legislation.”
This call-to-action stems from a September 2022 debate co-sponsored by ASU, Arizona PBS, and the Citizens Clean Elections Commission (CCEC).
Under longstanding CCEC regulations (Ariz. Admin. Code § R2-20-107(K)), a candidate declining an invitation to debate their political opponent forfeits airtime, granting the attending opponent a 30-minute solo interview.
When Hobbs announced she would skip the debate, ASU and PBS bypassed set regulations, granting her an exclusive 30-minute interview, a first in years to do so.
Internal communications, obtained and reported by the Arizona Republic, exposed the intent behind the decision. ASU President Michael Crow, Chief of Staff James O’Brien, and ASU Media Enterprise Managing Director Mi-Ai Parrish allegedly prioritized Hobbs’ comfort over neutrality.
Parrish’s emails to O’Brien highlighted concerns that “Katie is getting roasted hard” for dodging the debate and pressed CCEC staff to limit Lake’s discussion of election integrity, arguing that airing “a person with those views was wrong.” CCEC Executive Director Tom Collins confirmed to the Republic that Parrish sought to suppress Lake’s platform.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly listed the names of the County Attorneys. They have now been corrected.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Jonathan Eberle | Sep 12, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Robert “Bob” Corbin, a longtime Arizona public official who served as state Attorney General and played a pivotal role in some of the state’s most high-profile legal cases, has died. He was 96.
Corbin’s career in public service spanned decades, beginning as Maricopa County Attorney and later as a member of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. In 1979, he was elected Arizona’s Attorney General, a position he held through the 1980s.
Known for his commitment to integrity in government, Corbin gained recognition for prosecuting public officials accused of corruption and for pursuing justice in the 1976 car-bomb killing of Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles — a case that shocked the state and the nation. His work in that era helped shape Arizona’s reputation for taking on organized crime and political misconduct.
Maricopa County Chairman Thomas Galvin expressed condolences, saying Corbin “was a man of integrity and a selfless public servant” whose leadership left a lasting mark on the state. “He played a central role in landmark judicial cases, went after officials who violated the public trust, and prosecuted those responsible for the murder of journalist Don Bolles,” Galvin said in a statement. “As both an attorney and elected official, I am humbled to follow in the footsteps of someone so influential and principled.”
Beyond his courtroom and public service record, Corbin was respected across party lines for his measured approach to law enforcement and governance. He also served as president of the National Rifle Association in the early 1990s, a role that reflected his deep involvement in public policy beyond Arizona.
Corbin is survived by his wife, former state senator Lori Klein Corbin, along with family, friends, and colleagues who remember him as a man deeply devoted to both his work and the people of Arizona.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by AZ Free Enterprise Club | Sep 3, 2025 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
If Katie Hobbs is thinking about what to do after her time as Governor is up, one option would be to test her skills in the Hide and Seek World Championships. After all, she proved during the 2022 gubernatorial election campaign that it’s what she’s best at.
After dodging any request to debate her opponent Kari Lake during her campaign, Hobbs also ducked reporters who dared to question her about it. She even hid in a restaurant bathroom after another reporter asked her why she didn’t like discussing politics.
All this hiding should have resulted in a simple decision. According to long-standing Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission (AZCCEC) rules, an opponent (in this case Kari Lake) should have been provided with airtime when a candidate (in this case Katie Hobbs) refused to debate. And the AZCCEC planned to do just that. But hours before Kari Lake’s interview was scheduled to take place, the AZCCEC learned that Arizona PBS went behind their back to schedule an exclusive interview with Katie Hobbs—moving them to postpone Lake’s interview.
If you think all this reeks of collusion, you’re right. And now, a public records request has made it clear. Katie Hobbs wasn’t playing hide and seek alone. She was purposefully aided by leadership at Arizona State University (ASU) and at PBS…
>>> CONTINUE READING >>>
