Arizona gubernatorial candidate's office burglarized
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Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs speaks on Oct. 7, 2022, in Tucson, Arizona. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images
The office of Arizona's secretary of state Katie Hobbs was burglarized this week, per a statement from the Democrat's gubernatorial campaign Wednesday.
The latest: The Phoenix Police Department said in a statement Thursday officers had arrested Daniel Mota Dos Reis in connection with Tuesday's break-in and the 36-year-old was charged with one count of third-degree burglary.
- The statement did not mention a potential motive, but it said a Phoenix police officer saw surveillance image from the break-in at Hobbs' office during a news report that they suspect was Reis, who had been arrested earlier Tuesday over an unrelated burglary.
Driving the news: Phoenix Police Sgt. Phil Krynsky said in an emailed statement that items were taken on Tuesday night from the office of Democrat Hobbs —who's running for Arizona governor in a tight race against Republican Kari Lake, a 2020 election denier.
What they're saying: "Secretary Hobbs and her staff have faced hundreds of death threats and threats of violence over the course of this campaign," Hobbs' campaign manager Nicole DeMont said in a statement.
- "Let's be clear: for nearly two years Kari Lake and her allies have been spreading dangerous misinformation and inciting threats against anyone they see fit," DeMont added.
- "The threats against Arizonans attempting to exercise their constitutional rights and their attacks on elected officials are the direct result of a concerted campaign of lies and intimidation."
Meanwhile, Lake on Thursday dismissed the Hobbs campaign statement as “absolutely absurd” when asked by a reporter about them. She also criticized journalists for seeking comment.
- "I can"t believe she would blame my amazing people or blame me for something like that. I don't even know where her campaign office is; I'm assuming it's in a basement somewhere," she said.
The big picture: The Department of Justice and FBI have identified Arizona as one of the top states for threats to election officials and poll workers.
- Widespread misinformation about election fraud has already resulted in several serious threats in Arizona and danger could increase now that early voting is under way.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Lake and with details of the arrest.
