On a Friday in July 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ), under President Joe Biden, arrested a man for a bomb threat he’d made a year and a half earlier to the Arizona secretary of state at the time, Katie Hobbs.
According to the DOJ’s public announcement of that arrest, that threat was sent online in mid-February 2021 through the secretary of state’s Elections Division contact form. Yet, it took law enforcement more than a year to nab the perpetrator: a Massachusetts man named James Clark.
Media outlets promptly picked up the news of Clark’s arrest, framing it as the latest in what was then an ongoing scourge of threats to election officials following the contentious 2020 election.
Hobbs was reaffirmed in the public eye as a face of resistance to former President Donald Trump’s purported election denialism. And she was deep into a contentious race of her own for the governor’s office against Trump-backed candidate Kari Lake.
“Election officials across the country are being threatened regularly for doing their jobs,’’ said Hobbs in a prepared statement at the time. “It’s unconscionable and undermines our democracy. This harassment won’t be tolerated and can’t be normalized. We thank the FBI for their persistence on further investigating this incident.”
The one detail that never received much attention was the timing of Clark’s arrest.
On the same day that the DOJ sparked a flurry of media coverage on their delayed arrest of a Trump-defying Democrat’s would-be assassin, a Hobbs campaign operative quietly registered Will of the People, a political action committee (PAC) that would go on to raise more than $5 million from dark money and labor union heavyweights across the nation.
The listed address for the PAC is a virtual office in downtown Phoenix. Its treasurer from day one was Dacey Montoya, founder and president of The Money Wheel, a well-known political and nonprofit compliance firm in Democratic circles. Montoya is currently the treasurer for both Gov. Katie Hobbs’ campaign and Hobbs’ alleged campaign finance fund-washing fund.
Montoya has offered her Money Wheel services to numerous Democratic candidates, party organizations, and progressive dark money operations both in Arizona and nationally over the years. Past clientele include Gov. Katie Hobbs, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, Rep. Yassamin Ansari, Sen. Mark Kelly, Jevin D. Hodge, Kirsten Engel, Reginald Bolding, Arizona Democratic Party, Maricopa County Democratic Party, Progress Now Arizona/Progress Arizona, Our Voice Our Vote Arizona, Copper State Victory, and the Arizona Education Association.
The Money Wheel has received more than $5.2 million since 2017 at the federal level according to Federal Election Commission records, and more than $1.9 million since 2017 at the state level according to secretary of state campaign finance records. Since 2022, Montoya’s company has received more than $119,000 from the PAC.
Will of the People PAC
Most of Will of the People PAC’s millions came in 2022 and 2024.
$2.3 million from SEIU-UHW and SEIU-COPE, the nation’s largest labor union and a PAC
$1 million from Open Society Action Fund, an organization by the Soros family, who are top Democratic dark money donors
$680,000 from ProgressNow AZ
$600,000 from the National Education Association
$360,000 from the Fairness Project
$200,000 from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arizona
The PAC has not reported any income this year, and the only significant reported expenditures so far have been $8,000 from January through April given to The Money Wheel.
The PAC has spent an undisclosed amount of funding on lawfare to kill Republican-led ballot initiatives; in recent months, they filed two lawsuits to stop Propositions 142 (called the “Prohibit Mandatory Support for Discrimination or Preferential Treatment by Government Entities Amendment”) and 318 (called the “Require All Schools and Athletic Associations to Restrict Sports Participation and Access to Private Spaces Based on Sex Measure”).
Prop 142 would prohibit the state and government agencies from compelling, promoting, or implementing practices rooted in preferential treatment or discrimination based on race or ethnicity.
Prop 318 would restrict access to private spaces like restrooms and locker rooms based on biological sex, bar male students from participating in female sports, and establish a definition of sex rooted in biology.
In the case of Prop 318, the PAC also created a website called “Vote No on Prop 318.” However, per media coverage and the website itself, the PAC is now claiming to be a program under Progress Arizona, a progressive 501(c)(4) nonprofit. This website has not been disclosed under the PAC’s campaign finance reporting as of this report. The PAC’s logo is displayed on the website.
“Will of the People is a program of Progress Arizona,” states the website. “Email info@progressarizona.org. Paid for by Will of the People.”
Concerning the media — as previously reported, the PAC once identified The Arizona Republic as an endorser of their efforts.
It appears that the PAC may have failed to file some of its required expenditure disclosures. Four television advertisements urging Arizonans to vote “no” on Prop 132 (called the “60% Vote Requirement for Ballot Measures to Approve Taxes Amendment”) weren’t reflected in the PAC’s ballot measure expenditures for 2022, because none were issued.
Voters approved Prop 132 in 2022, which established a 60% vote threshold for ballot measures approving taxes.
Will of the People Is Also a Nonprofit
The PAC also has a similarly named nonprofit, “Will of the People Arizona.” The two share a launch year, an address, and leadership.
One of the first leaders of the nonprofit arm, Betsy Boggia, was not listed on PAC documentation. Boggia served as the director/secretary from 2022 through 2024, based on Arizona Corporation Commission records.
Boggia is a League of Women Voters board member and a recent former president of its Tucson chapter, according to her active and up-to-date LinkedIn profile. Notably missing from her work history and posts were any references to her leading a nonprofit that raised more than $5.5 million in three years.
Boggia’s silence on the matter may be explained by the nonprofit’s tax filings, which reported that Boggia spent an average of just one hour per week running the multi-million dollar operation.
Between the nonprofit and PAC, the two apparently affiliated entities have raised and spent approximately $11 million in four years.
The nonprofit didn’t disclose its revenue sources on its available tax filings from 2022, 2023, and 2024. Only four contributions totaling $2.1 million were publicly available through other organizations’ tax filings:
$1 million from Open Society Policy Center in 2024
Only the ACLU provided a detailed explanation for the purpose of their contribution: paid communications to defeat Propositions 128, 129, and 132.
Propositions Targeted by Will of the People PAC and Nonprofit
Based on various sources, the PAC and nonprofit together targeted at least 14 Republican-led propositions from 2022 through this year.
Nine were defeated and five passed. Five are to be determined this year.
The PAC and nonprofit also successfully advocated for the passage of Prop 139 in 2024, which made abortion a constitutional right in Arizona.
On publicly available archived versions of the PAC’s site from 2024 through 2025, the PAC clearly disclosed which propositions it opposed: Props 134, 136, 137, and 139.
Prop 134 would have set a signature distribution requirement in all 30 legislative districts for citizen-led initiatives: 10% for statewide initiatives, 15% for constitutional amendments, and 5% for statewide referenda.
Prop 136 would have allowed individuals to sue to stop voter-proposed initiatives from being put on the ballot if they believe them to be unconstitutional.
Prop 137 would have ended term limits for state supreme court justices and superior court judges.
Then, earlier this year, the PAC changed its website to offer a ballot proposal guide in exchange for donations. The linked donation button led to a donation page hosted by ActBlue Civics, which disclosed that the donated funds would be given to Progress Arizona, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, not the Will of the People PAC.
In 2024, the PAC disclosed giving $8,000 to Progress Arizona’s policy and research director, Casey Clowes, in 2024 to run digital ads opposed to multiple propositions and in favor of one proposition, Prop 139, which created a constitutional right to abortion.
The PAC has also paid $55,000 to ProgressNow AZ and Progress Arizona PAC, and $706,000 to the Arizona Democratic Party.
The current version of the site as of this report no longer includes the promise of a ballot proposal guide in exchange for fundraising. Instead, the PAC website now urges individuals to endorse a “no” vote on Props 142, 144, 318, and 320.
“A group of power-hungry politicians have voted to put a set of highly deceptive propositions on your ballot this November,” states the present version of the site. “They are aiming to make voting more difficult for Arizonans, hollow out our schools with funding cuts, and institute blanket discrimination in youth sports. You can help stop these propositions by adding your name to the list of Arizonans endorsing a NO vote on these dangerous measures.”
Despite its grassroots-sounding name, Will of the People has been funded by millions of dollars from national labor unions, progressive organizations, and Democratic-aligned dark-money groups, while its leadership and vendors have extensive ties to Arizona’s Democratic political establishment.
The organization has opposed numerous Republican-led ballot measures. With five targeted measures still awaiting a vote, its influence over Arizona’s ballot initiatives remains active heading into November.
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Three Arizona House Republicans have requested weekly, in-person briefings from Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) Director Thomas Buschatzke on Colorado River negotiations, seeking the same information provided to Gov. Katie Hobbs.
In a September 4 letter, Reps. Gail Griffin (R-LD19), Neal Carter (R-LD15), and Chris Lopez (R-LD16) asked Buschatzke to meet with them and relevant agency staff and legal counsel at least once a week. The lawmakers proposed Tuesdays at 2 p.m., while offering to arrange another mutually agreeable time.
The request follows the federal government’s decision on Colorado River operations for 2027 and 2028, which drew mixed reactions from Arizona officials. Arizona would absorb approximately 61% of the total reductions across the three Lower Basin states, with a 760,000-acre-foot reduction compared with California’s 440,000 and Nevada’s 50,000.
Griffin chairs the House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee, where Lopez serves as its vice chair, and Carter is speaker pro tempore of the Arizona House of Representatives.
In the letter, the lawmakers cited the Legislature’s authority under A.R.S. § 45-106, which requires legislative approval by concurrent resolution before an agreement between the water resources director and the United States, another state, or a government involving Arizona’s sovereign rights or claims can take effect.
💧 Did you know?
Arizona’s water future depends on more than one source.
Colorado River water remains critical, but Arizona also relies on groundwater, reclaimed water, conservation, water storage, and new supply projects to support communities and future growth.
“Given our unique legislative role under A.R.S. § 45-106, we believe we are entitled to receive the same briefing you would deliver to the Governor’s office or the Governor herself, free from any filters or withholding of information,” the lawmakers wrote.
The requested meetings would allow members to receive updates, ask questions, and examine the factual, policy, and legal rationale for prospective offers, terms, or decisions. The lawmakers also asked to be informed of developments as they occur.
The letter also references two pieces of correspondence from August. They said Buschatzke confirmed on August 25 that implementing a Lower Basin Agreement would require legislative approval and committed to keeping House and Senate members informed of information relevant to their decision.
— Arizona Department of Water Resources (@azwater) September 4, 2026
The lawmakers also said Hobbs affirmed her commitment to providing relevant updates in an August 26 letter and directed Buschatzke to “continually update” them as requested.
Hobbs plans to call a special legislative session for lawmakers to vote on a water-sharing agreement between Arizona, Nevada, and California.
Hobbs highlighted her administration’s Colorado River negotiations in a June interview with 12 News. After the federal government released its proposed operating guidelines, she urged federal officials to adopt the Lower Basin states’ proposal and distribute water reductions equitably.
In August, the federal government came to an agreement with Arizona and the other Lower Basin states on Colorado River water usage. Under the deal, Arizona will lose about 61%: the most out of the Lower Basin states. The news was met with mixed reactions. Hobbs said the decision protected Arizona from deeper cuts. U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) said his initial review indicated the plan avoided the most drastic options previously announced, while U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04) described the two-year reprieve as another short-term fix and called for durable agreements.
Scot Mussi, president of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, called the deal “a total failure of leadership” in a statement posted to X. He stated that the deal “will place most of the cuts on new single family homes while data centers and apartments get unlimited water.” He added, “Conveniently, those big water users happen to be some of your biggest campaign contributors.”
This deal is a total failure of leadership. On top of that, this deal will place most of the cuts on new single family homes while data centers and apartments get unlimited water. Conveniently, those big water users happen to be some of your biggest campaign contributors. https://t.co/pLaenPuDCc
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce is advising residents opposed to data centers to go offline to prove their commitment.
The chamber issued a press release on Tuesday advising that those who wish to see a data center moratorium should “take that position to its logical conclusion” by entering its newly launched Arizona Offline Pledge.
The pledge requires participants to give up all technologies and services which rely on data centers, including social media, artificial intelligence, streaming services, online banking and digital payments, cloud storage, GPS navigation, video conferencing, and telehealth.
The chamber said data center expansion is necessary for modern life.
“Arizona can address legitimate concerns about data center growth without hitting pause on the infrastructure modern life depends on,” said the chamber.
For anyone ready to put a moratorium on new data centers, here’s your chance to really commit.
Take the Arizona Offline Pledge and give up the everyday benefits digital infrastructure makes possible: smartphones and social media, streaming and GPS, telehealth and online… pic.twitter.com/idU6D6PVUb
Courtney Coolidge, chamber executive vice president, said that halting in the face of opposition wasn’t an option.
“Concerns from communities shouldn’t be dismissed, and we aren’t suggesting a data center belongs on every corner,” said Coolidge. “But Arizona has never responded to difficult growth challenges by simply stopping. We solve problems.”
Among those leading on the call for a moratorium are Attorney General Kris Mayes, who called it “the only sane thing to do.” Mayes said Arizona was guilty of “excessive data center development” and was vulnerable to some of the most negative impacts from it.
“The Colorado River is in serious distress, and Wall Street firms are seeking to ship La Paz County’s groundwater to Phoenix to fuel the Valley’s growth — against the wishes of the county’s residents and leaders,” said Mayes. “We owe it to our communities, homeowners, and future generations of Arizonans to better manage our water and power needs before any new data center approvals are issued.”
The only sane thing to do is to pause the approval of new data centers.
Data centers are power- and water-intensive, and Arizona is challenged on both fronts right now.
Arizona may be one of the most exposed states in the country to the negative impacts of excessive data…
Earlier this summer, Gov. Katie Hobbs approved the budget passed by the Republican-led state legislature which included a three-year freeze on tax breaks for new data centers, but which did allow the construction of new data centers to continue.
Hobbs has also advocated for a water usage fee for new data centers — one cent for every gallon used, on par with what the average Arizona family pays — and the money collected would go into the Colorado River Protection Fund.
When we put people over data centers, the change isn’t just a line item—it’s felt at every kitchen table. I signed a 3-year pause on new data center tax breaks and invested that money into making childcare affordable and protecting healthcare and food assistance for Arizonans. pic.twitter.com/IRHTr3ehWg
— Governor Katie Hobbs (@GovernorHobbs) July 7, 2026
President Donald Trump issued a statement on Monday criticizing those opposed to data centers as desirous of “end[ing] up being backwards and poor,” and that these developments would result in “far lower” taxes and a greater number of jobs.
“If we kill the Golden Goose, you will only have yourselves to blame,” said Trump. “China could not be happier with this anti Data Center movement. Actually, they can’t believe it is happening!”
The head of the Arizona Republican Party is predicting that Attorney General Kris Mayes will face an investigation of her own for her alleged lack of investigation into Gov. Katie Hobbs.
Sergio Arellano stated in an interview with the “Conservative Circus” on Monday that Arizona Democrats should be “terrified” over the continued inquiries into Mayes.
“Kris Mayes didn’t just make Sunshine Residential Homes disappear; she may have just moved the spotlight directly onto herself,” said Arellano.
The Arizona Republican Party issued a statement accusing Hobbs of leading a “culture of corruption,” and endorsing the Republican nominee for governor, Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05).
Arizonans deserve better than Katie Hobbs’s Culture of Corruption.
Arellano also urged Republicans to issue the transcripts from their investigation into Mayes and Hobbs.
More than two years after launching an investigation based on media reports connecting Hobbs with an unusual rate increase for one of her major donors, Mayes released a short memorandum clearing Hobbs of pay-to-play corruption.
Sunshine Residential Homes, a major group home operator in the state, and its CEO, Simon Kottoor, are among the top donors to Hobbs’ campaign, legal fund, and inaugural fund. The company received substantial rate increases in 2023 and 2024 following years of denials before Hobbs took office.
The most recent denial occurred a month after Hobbs was sworn in. Several months later, following a dinner attended by Hobbs and her campaign chief at Kottoor’s residence, Sunshine Residential Homes received the rate increase it had sought — while other group home operators were denied increases or had their contracts cut entirely.
Mayes’ seven-page memorandum clearing Hobbs was criticized across the board not only for its length but for it allegedly revealing oversights concerning apparent evidence that some corruption had occurred.
Mayes maintained that the scope of her investigation was thorough; it included more than 100,000 documents. The attorney general suggested that the legislature was to blame for the perceived pay-to-play issues, and advocated for improved transparency laws.
Earlier this summer, Hobbs vetoed the sort of legislation Mayes suggested to ensure greater transparency. Hobbs claimed that because the legislation would also bring transparency to the Sunshine Residential Homes debacle, it was a “political stunt.”
Most recently, House Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-LD29) sent Mayes a letter demanding she provide answers to five questions indicating key contradictions and omissions in her investigation. Montenegro cited evidence from Department of Child Safety employee testimonies and contracting requirements as support for the scope of questioning.
“The Memorandum suggests your Office failed to pursue critical issues and reached conclusions that directly conflict with reliable evidence — including information provided by the very witnesses your Office claims to have interviewed,” said Montenegro. “Those failures raise the specter that your Memorandum was intended to influence the November election by attempting to inoculate the Governor from a perceived political vulnerability.”
Montenegro gave Mayes until Friday, September 4, to answer.
Senate President Warren Petersen (R-LD14) — who is the Republican nominee for attorney general — has also called on Mayes to release the records that informed her decision to clear Hobbs of wrongdoing. Petersen called Mayes’ memorandum a “cliffs notes report” that withheld critical information from the public.
An Arizona House special advisory team and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office are still investigating the pay-to-play allegations against Hobbs, despite an initial order from Mayes to stand down as her office conducted its investigation.
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Republican Rep. Abraham Hamadeh (AZ-08) said Arizona has a “captured government” after Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes declined to prosecute Gov. Katie Hobbs over allegations involving political contributions connected to Sunshine Residential Homes and rate increases the company received from the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS).
Hamadeh made the remarks during an appearance on James T. Harris’ “The Conservative Circus,” calling Mayes’ two-year criminal investigation “a sham” that he said was intended to clear Hobbs before the November election.
“Arizona has a captured government right now,” Hamadeh said.
Congressman Hamadeh is not surprised that @KrisMayes dropped the investigation into crooked @KatieHobbs.
Mayes is the illegitimate attorney general BECAUSE Hobbs withheld evidence when she was Secretary of State. They are in cahoots. This was a sham released sixty days before… pic.twitter.com/OJwDggjUKw
— Office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh (@RepAbeHamadeh) August 25, 2026
“The most important thing we have to do this November is get rid of both Kris Mayes and Katie Hobbs.” Hamadeh said. Hamadeh accused Mayes and Hobbs of protecting one another and said the state’s news media had failed to hold either official accountable.
“The attorney general is not going to hold the governor accountable,” Hamadeh said. “This is what you call a captured government. So it is up to We the People to show them accountability by voting them out of office.”
The congressman also tied the decision to his continuing claim that Mayes is an “illegitimate attorney general,” arguing that Hobbs withheld evidence while serving as secretary of state during Hamadeh’s unsuccessful challenge to the 2022 attorney general election. Mayes defeated Hamadeh by 280 votes after a recount, a result later recounted in an Arizona Court of Appeals decision rejecting Hamadeh’s request for a new trial.
Mayes announced earlier this month that her office found no evidence of a quid pro quo connecting Sunshine’s political contributions to the company’s DCS rate increases.
“After two years of investigation, consisting of multiple interviews, reviews of campaign-finance records, procurement records, bank documents, and State emails and chats, totaling over one terabyte of data, including more than 100,000 documents, the investigation has not uncovered any evidence of the necessary quid pro quo to support a bribery charge,” Mayes said.
The attorney general’s seven-page legal memorandum said investigators conducted 12 interviews and reviewed campaign-finance records, procurement documents, bank records, and state communications. The memorandum concluded that prosecutors lacked evidence establishing a reasonable likelihood of conviction for bribery or related offenses.
Hobbs declined an in-person interview and submitted two written statements through her attorneys on Aug. 17, according to the memorandum. She stated that she had never discussed Sunshine’s rates or DCS contracting decisions with Sunshine founder and CEO Simon Kottoor or anyone affiliated with the company. Hobbs also denied directing anyone to intervene and said Sunshine’s political contributions did not influence state agency decisions.
Sunshine gave $200,000 to the Arizona Democratic Party before Hobbs’ 2022 election, $100,000 to her inaugural fund and another $100,000 to the state party in August 2023. Kottoor and his wife, Elizabeth, also made contributions to Hobbs’ gubernatorial campaigns.
The company received a mid-contract rate increase in May 2023 that raised its payment to $195 per bed, followed by an increase to $234 per bed during an April 2024 contract renewal. The AG memorandum said Sunshine’s rate increased 56% between 2019 and 2024. Two other providers received larger percentage increases over that period while retaining lower daily rates.
Mayes’ Investigation found that DCS officials knew about Sunshine’s political contributions as they considered its request. Then-DCS official Robert Navarro told colleagues during a February 2023 meeting that Sunshine was likely to seek an increase and was a donor to Hobbs, according to the memorandum. Navarro told investigators that the donations created perceived pressure. The Attorney General’s Office concluded that any perceived pressure resulted from Navarro’s own knowledge of the contributions and found no evidence that Hobbs or her office directed DCS to increase Sunshine’s rate.
The memorandum concluded that Sunshine’s rate increases resulted from its leverage as one of Arizona’s largest congregate-care providers. Sunshine accounted for approximately 20% to 25% of the state’s non-Division of Developmental Disabilities group-home beds. DCS officials told investigators that the company had threatened to move beds to the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, which paid higher rates to house unaccompanied migrant children. Officials said losing Sunshine’s capacity would have strained the foster-care system and reduced beds available to keep siblings together.
Mayes called for legislation increasing transparency around political contributions from state contractors when she announced the decision. Hobbs previously vetoed two bills sponsored by Republican Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope (R-LD16) that would have required certain companies seeking state contracts or grants to disclose political contributions and required agencies to retain procurement records.
Mayes’ criminal division recommended closing its pay-to-play investigation while keeping the matter open for the limited purpose of assisting the Arizona Auditor General. A separate review involving the Auditor General and Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell remains ongoing. The Arizona House has also commissioned an independent investigation.
