Gov. Katie Hobbs won’t disclose how much her inauguration ceremony will cost, or how much donors paid for it. Hobbs’ decision to withhold the donors’ identities not only contradicts her campaign promises but past administrations’ transparency on the subject.
Hobbs listed 137 sponsors for the event, but didn’t disclose how much they paid.
Sponsors include the Arizona Education Association, APS, Arizona Coyotes, Banner Health, BlueCross BlueShield, Boeing, Cigna, Cox, CVS, Deloitte, Gila River Indian Community, Greater Phoenix Leadership, Healthcare Rising Arizona, Horizon Strategies, Human Rights Campaign, Intel, Motorola, Pepsico, Phoenix Suns, PhRMA, Southwest Gas, SRP, Comcast, Amazon, Anheusesr-Busch, CoreCivic, Lockheed Martin, Paypal, and Safelite.
Tickets were $150 for the public to attend. Following widespread reporting on the lack of transparency around the event, ticket registration was listed as free.
In a statement to Arizona Capitol Times, Hobbs’ press aide Murphy Hebert said the event is a private one not paid for with public funds.
The secretive nature of Hobbs’ first days in office may be a lasting trait throughout her administration. The governor barred reporters from attending a swearing-in ceremony on Monday.
Hobbs’ first promise when she announced her candidacy for governor was to “deliver transparency.”
I’m running for Governor to deliver transparency, accountability, and results for Arizonans — just like I’ve done my whole career.
Hobbs’ bio on the newly revamped governor’s website also promises transparency from this new administration.
“A fearless advocate for Arizona, Katie will bring transparency and accountability to the governor’s office and deliver real results for all of us,” reads the bio. “Katie knows firsthand that government only works well if it’s led well. For Katie, that means transparency and accountability.”
Those interested in watching the inauguration ceremony may do so here:
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Governor Katie Hobbs’ first executive order prohibits gender identity discrimination in state employment and contracts.
The order directs the Department of Administration to establish procedures by April 1, 2023 regarding gender identity discrimination. The order also directed the department to launch awareness campaigns throughout state government through internal communications and trainings.
Hobbs’ order declared that over 40 percent of LGBTQ+ individuals nationwide report “unfair treatment” at work, such as firings, harassment, or not being hired due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. The order also noted that 83 percent of the Fortune 500 companies prohibit gender identity discrimination; those numbers came directly from a Human Rights Campaign report.
The 40 percent estimate appears to have originated from a 2021 study from a UCLA Law think tank. Their survey covered just over 900 LGBTQ+ adults about their lifetime, five-year, and past-year discrimination experiences. 46 percent of these respondents reported experiencing unfair treatment at some point in their lives, with just nine percent experiencing discrimination in 2021.
The think tank estimated that about 8 million American workers identify as LGBTQ+ — if nine percent of that estimate experienced discrimination in 2021, that would amount to just over 720,000 people. Other activist groups’ estimates place the total LGBTQ+ population at a much higher number: over 20 million.
Hobbs’ order could be viewed as a natural progression of policy initiated by a 2020 Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision.
Former attorney general Mark Brnovich interpreted existing anti-discrimination protections to include both sexual orientation and gender identity in a 2020 filing for the case Bruer v. State of Arizona. His filing followed the SCOTUS decision in Bostock v. Clayton County which determined that employers can’t discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Brnovich said that the state legislature would have to amend the Arizona Civil Rights Act to exclude sexual orientation and gender identity specifically if they disagreed with this interpretation.
The state already prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation in a 2003 executive order issued by former Governor Janet Napolitano — the last Democrat elected as governor prior to Hobbs.
A former and a future Arizona Governor walk into lunch… and walk out with some great plans for our state! pic.twitter.com/WCtSifpq3N
Governor Katie Hobbs laughed when asked if she would uphold the Arizona Constitution during her swearing in on Monday.
The individual to swear in Hobbs was her longtime lawyer, ally, and friend: Roopali Desai, a recent Biden appointee to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Hobbs exhibited nervous excitement: she required multiple prompts from Desai to finish taking her oath of office.
“Stop it!” exclaimed Hobbs.
VIDEO:
Democrat @KatieHobbs was unable to take the oath of office this morning without stammering and laughing through it. She also banned reporters from attending. #AZGov
Reporters weren’t welcome at the swearing-in, save for one photographer from the Associated Press. Press arrived to the cover the event. They weren’t allowed inside.
The Arizona Republic / @azcentral asked repeatedly to be allowed in, but the Hobbs admin is allowing only a single photographer from @AP. Hobbs aides said yesterday the swearing in will be live-streamed here: https://t.co/jOtRt56QwS
However, reporters will be allowed in the inauguration ceremony on Jan. 5.
After Hobbs took the oath of office, she claimed in a statement that partisanship wouldn’t define her administration. Hobbs promised to work with leaders of all political persuasions, specifically naming public school funding, water security, legalized abortion, and cost of living as initial priorities.
“Today marks a new chapter for Arizona. As we look forward to a brighter future, I pledge that the needs of Arizonans – not partisan politics – will always come first,” stated Hobbs.
The governor’s promise follows reporting that revealed Hobbs holds a different outlook on GOP leaders in private. Last month, Hobbs remarked during the Democratic Governors Association annual meeting that she wouldn’t communicate with GOP leaders due to strained relationships.
Hobbs is Arizona’s first Democratic governor elected in 16 years.
Hobbs’ first executive order prohibited state employment or contract discrimination based on gender identity. The order was issued as part of her “First 100 Days Initiative.”
Today, I began my First 100 Days Initiative by signing an executive order to protect employment opportunity. #Hobbs100pic.twitter.com/5S6G7TDaoT
One of her first moves as governor was to announce a Day of Service on Tuesday. Hobbs encouraged Arizonans to volunteer with their local nonprofits. The governor plans on volunteering with the Arizona Service Project.
Building a better future takes hard work, faith and tenacity – and leaders willing to roll up their sleeves to get things done.
Looking forward to joining @AzSProject for a Day of Service tomorrow.
Adrian Fontes (secretary of state), Kris Mayes (attorney general), Kimberly Yee (state treasurer), Tom Horne (superintendent of public instruction), and Paul Marsh (state mine inspector) were also sworn into office.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Governor-elect Katie Hobbs said she doesn’t plan on working with Arizona Senate Republicans.
The comments offer a stark contrast to Hobbs’ public promises for bipartisanship and a confidence that she can work well with GOP leaders.
Our campaign was never about Democrats or Republicans, and my administration will be no different. If we're going to tackle Arizona's toughest challenges, it's going to take bipartisanship to deliver Arizona solutions. https://t.co/Vn05maQzWa
Yesterday I had the opportunity to share my vision for Arizona in my 1st interview as Governor-Elect.
Arizonans are facing real challenges right now, and I'm ready to get to work bringing people together to deliver bipartisan solutions.https://t.co/oaNwje2aRw
Hobbs issued the remarks during the Democratic Governor Association’s (DGA) annual winter meeting at the beginning of December in New Orleans, Louisiana: an exclusive Ritz-Carlton Hotel confab with donors, lobbyists, and a handful of journalists.
"I believe that if we can put our partisan differences aside, there are things we can work together on. And that's a win-win for all Arizonans."
According to The New York Times relay of Hobbs’ commentary, the governor-elect said that her communication with their leadership was strained to the point that she hadn’t and wouldn’t communicate with them.
Arizona is divided. But the path forward is clear — we need to work together, across parties, to mend fences and heal our divisions. It’s time to leave the past behind and look forward into the future.
Hobbs indicated she would be harsh to those constituents and political leaders who challenge the validity of her election. Hobbs also said that she wasn’t optimistic about finding common ground on voting issues.
“These people are claiming fraud when there is none, these people mounted an insurrection on the Capitol, they’re the ones who have broken the trust,” said Hobbs. “You can’t coddle these people that have been misled by the people they have upheld as leaders. These so-called leaders need to be held accountable.”
Yet over a week later, Hobbs publicized her meeting with State Rep. Ben Toma (R-LD27), speaker-elect, and State Sen. Warren Petersen (R-LD14), president-elect. Her public optimism on the meeting flipped from her DGA outlook. In November, Toma told The Arizona Republic that it was too early to know how the state legislature would work with Hobbs.
Had a productive discussion with Speaker-Elect @RepBenToma and President-Elect @votewarren this morning. We are ready to find common ground and get to work on behalf of all Arizonans. pic.twitter.com/0GW1gXQi9N
Hobbs’ DGA remarks followed controversies over her willingness to end the state’s 1901 abortion ban, universal school choice program, and Border Strike Force.
Hobbs will be sworn in next Thursday, Jan. 5.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
The Maricopa County Superior Court denied most of the $696,000 sanctions requested against Kari Lake. Judge Peter Thompson clarified that Lake’s claims of election misconduct or fraud weren’t groundless or brought in bad faith.
“There is no doubt that each side believes firmly in its position with great conviction. The fact that Plaintiff failed to meet the burden of clear and convincing evidence required for each element of A.R.S. § 16-672 does not equate to a finding that her claims were, or were not, groundless and presented in bad faith,” wrote Thompson.
However, Thompson didn’t deny all of the sanctions. He did award Katie Hobbs $5,900 in her capacity as secretary of state for an expert witness, $22,400 in her capacity as governor-elect for another expert witness, and another $4,700 in her capacity as governor-elect for 8 hours’ worth of ballot inspections. The total of over $33,000 comes with an annual interest rate of 7.5 percent.
Lake’s “War Room” team declared Thompson’s dismissal a win. They reaffirmed that they would appeal his ruling on the case.
We are quite confident in both the legal and evidentiary merits of our case.
Particularly when all ten of our counts are given proper consideration.
We appreciate Judge Thompson's evaluation & are eager for a second (& more comprehensive) review of our case. https://t.co/JcAmHIZhks
Lake’s lawyers petitioned late Monday to have Maricopa County and Secretary of State Katie Hobbs’ collective $696,000 sanctions request dismissed entirely.
In their court filing, Lake’s attorneys said that the county’s sanctions request was a punishment for litigating the election. The attorneys stated that they presented over two hundred witnesses that testified to facts and alleged violations of law, which included specific numbers of allegedly illegal votes exceeding the 17,100 margin between Lake and Hobbs.
“[T]he issues raised before this Court were of significant concern to millions of Arizona voters as to the causes of chaos that arose on Election Day — and the administration of elections in Maricopa County generally — and Plaintiff’s claims deserved to be brought and heard,” stated Lake’s attorneys. “Trust in the election process is not furthered by punishing those who bring legitimate claims as Plaintiff did here.”
Lake’s attorneys further disputed Maricopa County’s claim that there wasn’t any evidence of intentional misconduct to change the election outcome. They cited the court’s acknowledgement in its ruling that evidence did exist — though Thompson determined that the evidence didn’t appear to affect the election outcome.
The attorneys also rehashed testimonies from Election Day Director Scott Jarrett and County Recorder Stephen Richer. They claimed that Jarrett walked back his initial denial of knowledge of 19-inch ballots being printed onto 20-inch paper, something that would render them unreadable by tabulators. They also claimed that Richer offered conflicting testimony concerning chain of custody: he at first stated that ballots were processed at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center (MCTEC) before being counted at Runbeck, then later stated that ballots were counted at MCTEC and documented on chain of custody forms before being transferred to Runbeck for counting again.
The bulk of the sanctions fees came from the law firms tied to Democrat’s go-to litigator and principal Russiagate player, Marc Elias, who served Hobbs in her capacity as governor-elect. Hobbs requested over $457,000 for Elias’ law firm, Elias Law Group, and over $93,000 for Elias’ former firm, Perkins Coie. The two firms also requested nearly $56,700 for 16 hours of work. The firms noted that these definite fees for less than a day’s work don’t require a detailed review of invoices nor would they be subject to revision. In his denial of these sanctions, Thompson noted that itemization of costs were required pursuant to state law.
The firms also requested over $22,400 in definite fees for their expert witness, Kenneth Mayer, and nearly $4,700 for 8 hours of ballot inspections.
Lake claimed in a since-deleted tweet that Elias helped ghostwrite Judge Thompson’s ruling.
A few days ago I asked what conspiracy theory Kari Lake would offer for why she lost her election contest lawsuit. It is more insane than even I predicted. pic.twitter.com/8K6OIfSVcc
Maricopa County cited this claim as a justification for their sanctions request. In their counter to the sanctions request, Lake’s attorneys declared that her speech was constitutionally protected.
Perkins Coie helped to create & disseminate the collusion hoax in a coup against the President of the United States
Hobbs hired them to help her undermine Arizona election law & procedure
And our ostensibly conservative Maricopa Attorney's office has agreed to help them do it?
In her capacity as secretary of state, Hobbs requested nearly $37,000 for the services of Coppersmith Brockelman, a go-to law firm for Democrats whose partner, Roopali Desai, was appointed earlier this year to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Maricopa County requested an incomplete portion to cover attorney’s fees: just over $25,000. Over $18,700 would go to the county attorney’s office, and just over $6,300 would go to outside counsel with the Burgess Law Group. The remainder of the fees are pending. The county noted that only their clerical workers could export time from their time-keeping systems into a spreadsheet, and that they weren’t willing to require their support staff to work on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
The Maricopa County Superior Court dismissed Lake’s lawsuit on Christmas Eve. Judge Thompson asserted that Lake’s team didn’t provide clear and convincing evidence of election misconduct or fraud. Lake promptly announced that she would appeal the ruling.
In their sanctions request, Maricopa County declared that Lake engaged in “unfounded attacks on elections” and brought forth “unwarranted accusations against elections officials.”
Just like in Arizona, we are told that the certification process is purely ceremonial but also irreversible.
We are given results & told to accept them or be punished.
