Undercover video revealed that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs’ campaign travels with an AR-15 firearm in the car for protection, contradicting Hobbs’ long-held desire to ban assault weapons.
Hobbs’ head consultant, Joseph Wolf, told an undercover Project Veritas reporter that they traveled with an AR-15 because it was “easier to fire than a handgun.” In a separate clip, Wolf stated that Hobbs would do everything in her power to issue an assault weapons ban.
“There’s nothing she could do about it, at least immediately, right? Except advocating for it publicly, which is really more impactful once you’re governor,” said Wolf. “This state is unfortunately crazy in love with their guns.”
Other undercover videos obtained by Project Veritas showed that grassroots activists assisting with Hobbs’ campaign were troubled by her, especially her refusal to debate Republican opponent Kari Lake. Field organizer Jasper Adams with Mission For Arizona, which is a group funded by the Arizona Democratic Party, disclosed that they had “a lot of concerns” about Hobbs’ campaign.
Adams disclosed further that his group wasn’t privy to the reason behind Hobbs’ refusal to debate Lake. He explained that even Hobbs’ communications director, who he described as freshly hired and not prepared, didn’t know why Hobbs wouldn’t debate Lake. The closest thing to an answer Adams received: the Hobbs campaign wouldn’t need a debate because they wouldn’t lose Democratic voters, and only Democratic voters care about a debate.
“They basically said only Democrats care about debates and it’s not going to change anything,” said Adams. “Either it wouldn’t persuade people one way or the other or it wouldn’t help her.”
Hobbs has long supported a ban on assault weapons, which gun control advocates usually mean to include AR-15s.
We must refuse to accept that nothing can be done about gun violence. Renew the assault weapons ban that was allowed to expire for starters. https://t.co/b2eKtdSsLL
While minority leader for the state senate in 2018, Hobbs lamented to Arizona PBSthat the state legislature wasn’t going to ban assault weapons.
“Unfortunately, it’s been business as usual,” said Hobbs. “There seems to be no push to do anything different than we have, and that’s to ignore bills we have put forward that would bring about common sense solutions to end gun violence.”
I literally quoted a list of all the shootings committed w/AR15’s.
Hobbs supports “common-sense gun reform” proposed by groups like Everytown. Their suggested policies include the prohibition of assault weapons, which they classified as high-powered semiautomatic firearms, or AR-15s. (Note: the “AR” in “AR-15” doesn’t stand for “assault rifle,” it stands for “ArmaLite Rifle” after the company that developed it originally in the 1950s).
Today is #WearOrange Day, which honors the more than 40,000 lives lost to gun violence in America every year. We will always remember you, but we will never forget why you’re gone. We need common-sense gun reform now. @Everytownpic.twitter.com/bzCAl3EDXP
Those opposed to gun control advocates disagree with the characterization of AR-15 as an assault weapon. The National Shooting Sports Foundation, a firearms industry trade association, argues that assault rifles are fully automatic, like machine guns.
In 1994, Congress included AR-15s in the “Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act,” or the “Federal Assault Weapons Ban.” The ban on AR-15s lasted until 2004. A vast majority of the studies on the effects of the ban concluded that its effects were negligible on gun crime.
President Joe Biden claimed last March that the decade-long Federal Assault Weapons Ban resulted in a reduction in mass killings. However, even FactCheckdisputed his claim.
Hobbs has also historically opposed concealed carry. In June, Hobbs decried the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision to strike down New York’s restriction on concealed carry.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
The Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission (AZCCEC) accused Arizona State University (ASU) President Michael Crow of playing favorites by giving Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs the interview she wanted. Normally, AZCCEC and ASU’s Arizona PBS station coordinate debates between candidates.
Last month, AZCCEC rejected Hobbs’ proposed alternative to a debate with Republican opponent Kari Lake: two back-to-back, individual interviews of each candidate. Since only Lake agreed to the debate terms set forth by AZCCEC, she was scheduled to have an interview in lieu of a debate on Tuesday. However, hours before Lake’s interview was to take place, AZCCEC learned that Arizona PBS (AZPBS) went behind their back to schedule a special interview with Hobbs next Tuesday — moving them to postpone Lake’s interview.
In a statement shared with multiple news outlets, Crow claimed that he wasn’t involved in a policy-level decision concerning the debate. However, he disclosed that he advised AZPBS that giving Hobbs airtime was necessary. ASU owns AZPBS.
“But I did indicate that we need to continue to fulfill our mission of unbiased and nonpartisan coverage of public figures and talk to important people in the public realm like Lake and Hobbs to have the public learn of their views, even if there is no debate,” stated Crow.
In response to Crow’s remarks, AZCCEC Executive Director Tom Collins asserted to reportersthat Crow influenced AZPBS editorial decisions.
Collins also said that it wasn’t acceptable for the AZCCEC to be involved in the kind of behavior exhibited by AZPBS.
“The issue here is the way AZPBS went about soliciting this particular interview and then having one candidate announce [it] on the day that another candidate — who had followed a specific set of rules that ASU had agreed to as well — [had their interview, which] made it look like ASU was playing favorites with candidates,” said Collins.
"The issue here is the way that @ArizonaPBS went about soliciting this particular interview … made it look like @ASU is playing favorites with the candidates. Well, that's not acceptable …"
AZPBS’ special exception for Hobbs prompted the Arizona House Republicans to take action. State Representative John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills) pledged in a press release to introduce legislation to sever all state ties and support of AZPBS if the station didn’t cancel Hobbs’ interview.
“It would be inappropriate for the state to continue its relationship with AZPBS, given its sabotaging of the clean elections debates that were approved by the voters,” stated Kavanagh. “The clean elections rules are clear. If a candidate refused to debate, their opponent (who is willing to debate) is eligible to have a 30-minute question and answer session.”
Kavanagh added that AZPBS was wrong for essentially lifting AZCCEC’s penalization for Hobbs. He predicted that AZPBS was setting a precedent to encourage future candidates to avoid debates.
“I believe the station’s decision to reward a candidate’s refusal to debate, by giving them free television time, is tantamount to making a partisan political contribution to their campaign,” wrote Kavanagh. “AZPBS needs to keep its thumb off the election scale and not shortchange the voters.”
Rep. @JohnKavanagh_AZ announces intent to sponsor legislation to sever state support of @AZPBS if it fails to correct troubling 11th hour decision to circumvent AZ Clean Elections Commission debate rules.
AZPBS offered Lake an interview as well, one also not arranged or approved by AZCCEC. However, Lake formally rejected that offer in a letter sent to AZPBS, Crow, and AZCCEC on Thursday. The letter, written by attorney Timothy La Sota, said that Lake would only come to the interview if it was reformatted as a debate between her and Hobbs.
“PBS & ASU have betrayed not only the Clean Elections Commission, but every voter in Arizona by going behind the backs of citizens to allow Hobbs to continue dodging a debate,” read the letter. “Any other format [than a debate] will result in the complete destruction of a 20-year tradition.”
Hobbs claimed that Lake’s refusal to the alternative interview was her opponent’s way of making a “spectacle.”
And there you have it. If Kari Lake can’t create a spectacle and has to take tough questions about her dangerous record, she won’t participate. https://t.co/A6EasmsZCF
For the first time in history, it appears that Arizona PBS has cast a vote for governor — and not for the candidate they owed a platform to on Wednesday. As it stands, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs got what she wanted while Republican opponent Kari Lake was left empty-handed.
Just for Hobbs, Arizona PBS ignored Arizona Clean Elections Commission’s (AZCCEC) decision and scheduled a one-on-one interview with Hobbs. The move by Arizona PBS forced a cancellation of Lake’s interview, which in itself was a consolation for voters that Lake secured with her unwavering willingness to debate. Lake had even advocated for Hobbs to have an open invitation to the debate; in this case, it seems no good deed goes unpunished.
In response to the last-minute cancellation, Lake held a press conference outside the Arizona PBS building. Lake’s remarks triggered protestors nearby, who attempted to drown out Lake by shouting.
“Unfortunately, PBS and ASU have done a backroom deal with that coward [Katie Hobbs] to give her airtime which she does not deserve,” said Lake.
Starting at 4:00 PM AZ time…
LIVE – PBS Betrays Kari Lake, Clean Elections Commission & Arizona Voters — BIG MISTAKE!https://t.co/H9PnwCAITD
Arizona PBS and its owner, Arizona State University (ASU),are taxpayer-funded. Lake asked voters to call the ASU School of Journalism, KAET-PBS, and ASU President Michael Crow to complain about the capitulation to Hobbs.
“This is not an arm of the Democratic National Committee, and unfortunately it appears that’s what it has become. Walter Cronkite would be rolling over in his grave right now at what’s happening here,” said Lake.
AZCCEC decided to postpone Lake’s interview because Arizona PBS scheduled an independent interview with Hobbs without their knowledge. AZCCEC shared in a public statement that they were surprised by Arizona PBS.
“This decision is disappointing, especially following the multiple attempts on behalf of all the partners involved in producing this year’s General Election debates, to organize a traditional gubernatorial debate between the two candidates,” stated AZCCEC.
Hobbs will be interviewed by Arizona PBS next Tuesday. Lake said that she would accept a similar invitation, but only if it was restructured to be a debate with Hobbs. Lake promised that she wouldn’t yell, wouldn’t interrupt, and would allow Hobbs to write the debate questions and bring an emotional support animal if necessary.
“If she doesn’t appear with me, they should kick her out and say she should not be on the airwaves at PBS,” said Lake. “Show up like a grown-up and debate.”
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Race and class-based power structures appear to be a lifelong theme for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs.
On Monday, the Daily Mail published an exclusive investigative report revealing that Hobbs helped organize a “Slave Day” at Seton Catholic Preparatory High School. The annual tradition was part of a spirit week characterized by slave-themed hazing between classes, including an auction where senior students were “sold.”
🚨@KatieHobbs organized a yearly high school tradition called “slave day.”
“The tradition entails freshman students performing tasks for senior class ‘masters’ that included performing ‘embarrassing acts of servitude.’”https://t.co/rKSYkbqLw2
The report comes just a month before the anniversary of the second court ruling determining that Hobbs committed racial and sexual discrimination against a former Senate employee, Talonya Adams, while the Senate minority leader. Next Monday will mark the third anniversary of the first ruling against Hobbs.
— Talonya Adams 🇺🇸 (personal acct) (@TalonyaAdams) August 20, 2022
Hobbs avoided issuing an apology to Adams. Rather, Hobbs gave the Arizona Mirror an exclusive interview to defend her firing of Adams. Hobbs claimed that, regardless of what the courts decided in both lawsuits, she fired Adams based on performance issues. Hobbs further stated that Adams was paid less because she was a Democrat.
Following the community outrage in response to that article and other public statements defending her firing of Adams, Hobbs changed her tune. Hobbs blamed “systemic racism” for her errors, saying that the inequities faced by Adams were invisible to her.
“My response to the jury verdict was short-sighted, unnecessarily defensive, and failed to meet the moment,” said Hobbs.
As part of her apology, Hobbs pledged to recruit, campaign, and hire women of color to leadership positions; create a Chief Equity Officer to enforce government diversity, such as through the Office of Equal Opportunity to improve human resource protocols; and create a position within each agency dedicated to people of color and marginalized communities.
I know that my initial response to the jury verdict fell short of taking real accountability for the pain I’ve caused — to Ms. Adams and many Arizonans. Arizonans deserve a leader who owns up to her mistakes. pic.twitter.com/7MaUkq3YNA
Hobbs ignored the report of her involvement in Slave Day activities; she never responded to Daily Mail inquiries about it. Hobbs didn’t respond to other outlets’ inquiries, either.
Instead, Hobbs focused her Monday messaging on her proposed policies, celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day in lieu of Christopher Columbus Day, the alleged Republicans who will cast their vote for her, celebrating World Mental Health Day, and reminding Arizonans that Tuesday is the last day to register to vote.
As a social worker who’s served some of Arizona’s most vulnerable communities, I understand the strength and perseverance it can take just to get from day to day. This #WorldMentalHealthDay, remember to take care of yourself and those around you ♥️
Republican opponent Kari Lake said she wasn’t surprised by Hobbs’ “Slave Day” activities, calling her opponent a “twice-convicted racist.” Lake said that Hobbs cost taxpayers $2.75 million, the amount awarded to Adams through the second verdict, but Adams only received around $300,000 according to a maximum set by federal law. The state paid Adams last September.
Twice-convicted racist @katiehobbs cost AZ taxpayers $2.75 million due to her racism—so it doesn’t surprise me that she organized “Slave Day” in high school.
In a Sunday interview, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs said she wouldn’t put any limits on abortion. Hobbs also evaded questions about her strength to handle a debate with Lake, as well as who caused the present border crisis.
Hobbs’ remarks occurred during her 8-minute one-on-one interview with CBS host Major Garrett, as part of a “Face the Nation” segment that also featured a separate one-on-one with Lake. Concerning abortion limits, Hobbs stated repeatedly that no laws should exist limiting abortion.
“I support leaving the decision between a woman and her doctor, and leaving politicians entirely out of it,” said Hobbs.
Hobbs said she didn’t agree with the state’s 15-week limit on abortions. She didn’t denounce late-term abortions but claimed that they’re never elective.
When pressed about her refusal to debate Lake, Hobbs claimed that her opponent would create a “circus” of no benefit to voters. Hobbs refused to answer Garrett when he asked if she were strong enough to handle the “circus” Lake might concoct. Rather, Hobbs said voters had plenty of other opportunities to see her performance under crisis, referencing controversy over the 2020 election.
Hobbs said there were no circumstances under which she would debate Lake.
Hobbs again refused to answer Garrett when he asked who she considers responsible for the present border crisis, and whether the Biden or Trump administration policies were safer for immigrants. Rather, Hobbs said that decades of bad policies from both parties were to blame.
Garrett pressed Hobbs, reminding her that she’d criticized “current immigration policy” — which would be that of President Joe Biden’s administration. Hobbs admitted that Biden should do more to mitigate the border crisis, but didn’t say he was to blame. She noted that former President Donald Trump failed to fulfill his promise of a complete border wall.
“Biden does need to step up immigration and border security,” said Hobbs.
Hobbs also claimed that her economic plan, which includes upending Arizona’s universal school choice, would reduce inflation.
During her one-on-one interview, Lake took the opposite stance on all issues. Lake answered nearly all of Garrett’s questions directly, except for his question about whether she believed that President Joe Biden was the legitimate president. Rather, Lake said that distrust in elections has been a pervasive issue since the early 2000s. She said that the ability for people to question elections ceased with the 2020 election, though doubts over the 2016 election continue to be permitted.
“All of a sudden in 2020, we don’t have free speech anymore,” said Lake. “All I’m asking for is the ability to speak out: when our government does something wrong, we should be able to speak against it.”
Concerning her plan to form an interstate compact to secure the border, Lake explained that the Constitution granted her plan the legal authority to act. She disclosed that other governors agreed to join the compact.
“We meet all three criteria [of Article I Section X of the Constitution]: we have an invasion, our people are in danger, and time is of the essence,” said Lake. “I hope that Joe Biden doesn’t fight us, because then it will really look like he’s on the side of the cartels.”
Lake said that the “lust” for cheap illegal immigrant labor exists not only in Arizona, but nationwide. She pointed to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA-12) press conference remarks that Republican-led states should welcome illegal immigrants because they can “pick the crops” there. Lake expressed concern not only for the quality of life for illegal immigrants,
On abortion, Lake said that she would uphold the law as governor. She said that she was for “true choices” which would entail more than just abortion. Lake asserted that abortion was the only choice offered at abortion clinics, not other choices like adoption.
Lake agreed with last week’s arrest of an Iowa man who threatened a Maricopa County supervisor over the 2020 election. She opined that the root cause of these threats were frustrations from restrictions on free speech and expression that occurred during the pandemic.
The latest polling shows Hobbs and Lake tied among likely voters.
Read the full transcript of the Hobbs and Lake interviews here.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
