by Matthew Holloway | Oct 6, 2026 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) found that Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) violated Arizona’s Open Meeting Law, according to a Sept. 22 letter that directly contradicts the district’s subsequent claim that no violation had been found.
“MCAO concluded that an Open Meeting Law violation has occurred,” Deputy County Attorney Caitlyn Mitchell wrote to complainant Michael Bengert in the letter.
The investigation concerned SUSD’s Phase II Design Advisory Team, whose work involved proposals for repurposing, consolidating, or closing district schools. Mitchell said investigators reviewed Governing Board meeting recordings, accompanying agendas, and supplemental information provided by Bengert.
SUSD General Counsel Renee Osipov subsequently disputed statements that MCAO had found a violation.
“Scottsdale Unified School District has received communication and a public comment indicating that the Maricopa County Attorney’s office found the District in violation of the Open Meeting Law (OML) with respect to the operation of the Phase II Design Team. This is inaccurate,” Osipov wrote in a correspondence with Bengert shared with AZ Free News.
“The County Attorney did not issue adverse findings, did not cite the District for an OML violation, and did not initiate any corrective action,” she added.
The district also published that position on its website Oct. 1.
MCAO’s Sept. 22 letter expressly states that the office informed SUSD of its conclusions.
“MCAO has informed SUSD of its findings and conclusions, recommended that SUSD revise its future use of superintendent appointed committees, and requested that the SUSD Governing Board acknowledge the results of this investigation publicly at the open meeting to discuss the Phase II Team’s recommendations,” Mitchell wrote.
The office said the team had completed its work, making it too late to require corrective action concerning future team meetings. The letter stated that the investigation was closed and did not announce a penalty.
An earlier letter to district counsel on Sept. 16 detailed the office’s reasoning.
“Although the creation of SUSD’s Phase II Design Advisory Team (‘Phase II Team’) does not—as a purely technical matter—fall under the statutory definition of an ‘advisory committee or subcommittee,’ the purpose and subsequent operation of the Phase II Team does,” prosecutors wrote.
The disagreement centers on the Governing Board’s involvement in the team’s creation and whether its work served the board or district administrators.
Osipov said the superintendent formed the team to conduct an analysis for the administration. She said it was not charged with making recommendations to the Governing Board regarding repurposing, consolidating, or closing schools.
“The team’s work was intended to inform the administration’s development of options for Governing Board consideration,” she wrote.
MCAO’s Sept. 16 letter said the board discussed creating an advisory body during 2025 and considered the issue Jan. 6, 2026. Although the board declined to amend its policy to establish a standing advisory board, prosecutors said the superintendent subsequently created the Phase II team and tasked it with making recommendations to the board.
“The timing of these events suggests the Governing Board’s implicit direction to the superintendent to create an advisory board for the purpose of advising the Governing Board,” the letter states.
Prosecutors described the team as the board’s “brainchild” and said its recommendations concerned matters the board would vote on.
Osipov challenged MCAO’s interpretation, saying portions of the Sept. 16 letter conflicted with opinions issued by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. She also said SUSD posted materials after each meeting to support transparency.
The amended Attorney General Opinion, issued June 23, 2025, explains that a superintendent-created committee does not automatically become subject to Open Meeting Law because its work leads to recommendations reaching the board.
The opinion says the law typically does not apply when the superintendent develops a proposal without board direction or other close involvement. It also cautions that a governing board cannot evade public meeting requirements by informally establishing a committee or directing a superintendent to establish one. A committee’s subsequent work can become subject to the law when the board tasks it with developing policy recommendations.
MCAO’s Sept. 16 letter relied on its assessment of the board’s involvement and the team’s function. It recommended that SUSD avoid an overly narrow interpretation of the law when determining whether future advisory bodies must hold public meetings.
Prosecutors also cited A.R.S. § 38-431.09, which directs those interpreting Arizona’s Open Meeting Law to favor open and public meetings.
The complaint was initially submitted to Attorney General Kris Mayes’ office, which referred it to MCAO July 17 after citing a conflict of interest. The complaint concerned public access to the advisory team’s meetings.
Bengert has also raised broader concerns about district leadership and public participation, criticizing SUSD’s academic outcomes, enrollment losses, and financial management while questioning whether its governing board provided sufficient scrutiny of Superintendent Scott Menzel’s administration. He argued that parents and residents needed opportunities to hear opposing views on district policies and decisions.
Bengert has asked MCAO to respond publicly to SUSD’s characterization of the investigation. In correspondence shared with AZ Free News, he disputed Osipov’s statements and asked the county attorney’s office to clarify its findings directly to the district.
An MCAO spokesperson said the office was reviewing additional questions and checking whether other correspondence existed.
AZ Free News requested additional comment from Scottsdale Unified School District and General Counsel Renee Osipov regarding the county attorney’s findings and the district’s characterization of the investigation. Neither had responded to those inquiries by the time of publication.
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 TJ Shope | Sep 29, 2026 | Opinion
By T.J. Shope |
Over the past few years, a government pay-to-play scandal has been brewing in Arizona that rivals the malfeasance we have come to expect from American bastions of improprieties like New York, Illinois, and California.
A couple of years ago, the state’s paper of record, The Arizona Republic, exposed a troubling relationship between Governor Katie Hobbs and Sunshine Residential Homes, LLC. The reporting revealed a suspicious link between political donations benefiting Hobbs’ inaugural fund and the Arizona Democratic Party and government-approved rate increases for Sunshine—at a time when similar increases were not being granted to other providers.
The revelation of a possible pay-to-play scandal at the highest levels of Arizona government sent shockwaves across the state and launched a quest for answers.
Thanks in large part to media reporting, we now know that more than $580,000 in political contributions from Sunshine Residential Homes and individuals connected to the company benefited Katie Hobbs and Democratic organizations. Then, the Hobbs administration approved rate increases that made Sunshine Arizona’s highest-paid group home provider per child. Internal messages uncovered over the past two years referenced Sunshine’s political connections and even discussed keeping its special arrangement quiet from competitors.
If that body of evidence doesn’t set off alarm bells, what will?
Following these revelations, three state and local officials sprang into action to investigate the allegations: Arizona’s Attorney General, the Auditor General, and the Maricopa County Attorney. Given the gravity of the allegations against Hobbs, each had a legitimate role to play.
But one of them—Attorney General Kris Mayes—publicly attempted to commandeer the investigation into her political ally, warning the other two against interference. Thankfully, the Auditor General and Maricopa County Attorney rejected this politically motivated power grab and continued exercising their lawful authority.
For more than a year, there was almost complete silence surrounding Mayes’ investigation, raising serious questions about her resolve to follow the facts wherever they might lead. Near the end of the investigation, we also learned that Hobbs had refused to sit down for an interview with investigators from the Attorney General’s Office.
Then, after two years—and conveniently just months before an election—Mayes cleared her fellow Democrat of wrongdoing, despite finding fault with numerous actions by the Hobbs administration.
In releasing her findings, Mayes suddenly announced a desire for reform. Even amid a matter as serious as this pay-to-play scandal, I had to laugh at the change of heart and sanctimonious posturing.
Over the past two legislative sessions, I introduced pay-to-play reforms designed not only to address concerns raised by the Hobbs administration’s conduct, but also to prevent future statewide officials from being tempted to travel down the same path. Hobbs vetoed both bills. Mayes stayed silent each time.
When Mayes had an opportunity to support meaningful reform, she said nothing.
That’s not leadership. That’s cowardice—and it helped set the stage for what has become a cover-up between Hobbs and Mayes.
As public servants, we have a responsibility to demand transparency and accountability from government. That obligation was not met by Hobbs, and it certainly was not met by Mayes’ sham report.
That’s why it’s time to shine some good old-fashioned sunlight on the Sunshine investigation.
Mayes must release the complete investigative file, including the evidence collected, relevant communications, interview and deposition transcripts, and the full rationale behind the decision not to prosecute. Arizonans deserve the opportunity to examine the facts for themselves. The other investigations with the Auditor General and Maricopa County Attorney remain open, and these must be allowed to continue without interference.
Transparency should not depend on political party. Accountability should not disappear when the person under investigation is a political ally. And reform should not suddenly become important only when an election is approaching.
Arizonans can rest assured that I will re-introduce these reforms again in the next legislative session—and I call on Attorney General Mayes to publicly support the policies ahead of time and work with me to ensure that these bills become law.
If she refuses, Arizonans will have every reason to conclude that this newfound concern for accountability was never really about reform.
It was election-year cover that would make New York, Illinois, and California mafia-style government officials proud.
T.J. Shope is the Arizona Senate President Pro Tempore and represents Legislative District 16.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 16, 2026 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) is contemplating more school closures as enrollment continues to decline.
The SUSD governing board discussed their options going forward during Tuesday’s meeting. Superintendent Scott Menzel said “some very, very difficult decisions need to be made.”
Since 2010, SUSD enrollment has declined by 6,000 students and the district has only closed one school. SUSD also reported rising costs, competition against school choice programs for students, and underutilized facilities as key pressures on district conditions.
“We have far more physical space than we have students to fill that space,” said Menzel.
As part of Phase I of restructuring for “full and thriving schools,” SUSD decided to close Pima Elementary School and Echo Canyon School. The district is now in Phase II, where it will decide the fate of the Desert Mountain Learning Community and Copper Ridge School.
Capacity is below 50% at Laguna Elementary (43%), Desert Canyon Elementary (37%), and Cheyenne Traditional (11%).
SUSD is facing an open meetings violation complaint pertaining to these closed-door Phase II proceedings to determine closures and consolidations.
SUSD’s Phase II Design Advisory Team doesn’t permit the public to attend its meetings under its classification as a Superintendent Advisory Committee, but the complaint against the district contends that the team was formed at the direction of the governing board.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) is now handling the complaint after the Arizona Attorney General’s Office cited a potential conflict of interest.
The MCAO told AZ Free News that they just recently received the complaint from the attorney general on July 17, though it was filed back in April. Their office also told us that it couldn’t provide any additional details at this time since it is an open investigation.
The Phase II Design Advisory Team presented three options for further restructuring, in the following order of greatest to least preferences:
First-most preference: close Copper Ridge K-8 and Laguna Prep, redistribute boundaries, and a possible Desert Canyon K-8 merger. This option would impact 773 to 872 students and provide more than $2.7 million in savings.
Second-most preference: move Cheyenne Traditional K-8 to Copper Ridge, move Laguna Prep and Redfield to Cheyenne campus, and a potential Desert Canyon K-8 merger. This option would impact 2,126 to 2,232 students and provide nearly $2.6 million in savings.
Third-most preference: merge Desert Canyon schools into K-8 at Copper Ridge, close Laguna Prep, repurpose Desert Canyon campuses and Laguna Prep. This option would impact 2,132 to 2,153 students and provide nearly $2.7 million in savings.
Impact was measured beyond students moving into schools to include certain students at receiving schools.
All three options were presented with multiple potential models for restructuring boundaries.
Member Amy Carney attempted to explain that she believed closing schools was the “easy option,” to which she objected, but was interrupted multiple times by Governing Board Vice President Mike Sharkey and counsel with cautions that she shouldn’t express opinions about what the board should and shouldn’t do prior to community debate on the options.
Member Carine Werner urged agendizing a board discussion about the options before them prior to the board meeting in October in which they are scheduled to make a vote.
Member Matthew Pittinsky expressed caution against exploring other options beyond what the Phase II Design Advisory Team had presented to them; he characterized Carney’s position as “a very slippery slope.”
The district said it has not yet determined how it would repurpose any closed schools.
SUSD scheduled a special session to receive additional community input on September 22.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Mar 30, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) is investigating over 200 individuals for noncitizen voting.
The MCAO notified the public in a press release of the investigation.
The Maricopa County Recorder’s Office referred the names of over 200 individuals to the MCAO between last week and this week. Out of that population, 60 have reportedly cast votes in the past.
MCAO limited the amount of information given to the public about their investigation.
“This investigation is in its very early stages, and in order to protect the integrity of the investigation, we will not comment further. When more information is available for release, we will make that public,” stated the MCAO.
Last month the recorder’s office notified the public of those 60 individuals they determined were noncitizens and had voted in prior elections.
Those 60 noncitizens with a voting history were uncovered following the recorder’s review of nearly 61,700 voters affected by the Motor Vehicle Division oversight that failed to acquire documentary proof of citizenship. At the time of the press release in February, the recorder’s office found a total of nearly 140 noncitizens under that classification who had registered to vote.
The recorder’s office relied on the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database to confirm the citizenship of the registered voters.
Last October, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) expanded authorization use within the SAVE database to enable states to verify citizenship on its voter rolls.
The updated authorization allowed for additional identifiers beyond the last four digits of Social Security numbers to include full Social Security numbers as well as driver’s license and passport numbers.
Along with the SAVE database expansion, former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem came to Arizona in February as part of a promotional tour on the SAVE Act.
That visit by Noem advanced more than just public awareness of the SAVE Act.
Arizona lawmakers revealed during a committee hearing earlier this month that the former recorder of Maricopa County, Stephen Richer, was being investigated for possible obstruction.
The revelation occurred as part of discussions by the House Federalism, Military Affairs, & Elections Committee on a criminal investigation package delivered to DHS and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence by the committee chair, State Rep. John Gillette (R-LD30).
“Stephen Richer telling recorders not to comply with the legislative public records request. That is not a glitch. That’s on purpose,” said Gillette. “There appears to be some obstruction or intent to obstruct other recorders from doing their job because they have an association, he was president of the association at the time, but he was instructing other elected officials that are not of Maricopa County how to comply or not comply in this case with a lawful public records request from the House. That is being looked at, and thus we’ve had a subpoena issued since.”
Although the MCAO announced they were investigating the alleged noncitizen voters, they weren’t the only agency notified of the problematic registrations.
The recorder’s office also referred the alleged noncitizen voters to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Mar 17, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
A Maricopa County judge sentenced a 21-year-old man to prison for his role in a fraud scheme that targeted elderly residents in the Phoenix area, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced that Jixiong Zhang was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple felony charges related to the scheme.
According to prosecutors, Zhang served as a courier in a coordinated scam targeting elderly victims between October and December 2024. Victims were contacted by individuals who claimed their bank accounts or online purchases had been compromised and were instructed to withdraw large amounts of cash to protect their funds. Couriers were then sent to collect the money.
Authorities said the victims in the cases were 83, 93, 94, and 99 years old. Investigators determined Zhang collected or attempted to collect more than $112,500 from the victims as part of the scheme.
Zhang pleaded guilty to several felony charges across three separate cases, including theft, money laundering, and assisting a criminal organization, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
The court ordered Zhang to pay $79,500 in restitution to the victims. He received 258 days of credit for time served, according to prosecutors.
“Targeting seniors in fraud schemes is particularly cruel,” Mitchell said in a statement announcing the sentencing. “These crimes steal more than money. They take away a sense of security and trust.”
Mitchell’s office stated that upon completion of his sentence, Zhang is “expected to face immigration proceedings.”
Investigators said fraud schemes like the one in Zhang’s case often involve impersonation tactics, in which victims receive calls or messages claiming to be from financial institutions or technology companies and are directed to withdraw funds or transfer money to protect their accounts.
Fraud targeting older adults has been the focus of increased enforcement and legislative attention in Arizona in recent years. Lawmakers have advanced legislation to address financial crimes and property-related fraud schemes targeting vulnerable residents.
Officials with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said they continue to investigate cases involving organized fraud operations and individuals who serve as couriers in financial scams.
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.
