Senate Republicans shift Hobbs investigation
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Senate Government Committee Chair Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek) at the podium during a recent press conference. Sen. David Farnsworth (R-Mesa) is on the left. Photo: Jeremy Duda/Axios
A state Senate Republican investigation into pay-to-play allegations against Gov. Katie Hobbs is now being led by a former Arizona Supreme Court justice amid conflict-of-interest questions surrounding the senator who originally launched it.
Why it matters: Sen. Jake Hoffman's companies have been paid about $1.5 million to help defeat Hobbs, which her campaign and other Democrats say creates a conflict of interest.
State of play: The Senate announced Monday that the investigation is moving from the Senate Government Committee, which Hoffman (R-Queen Creek) chairs, to the Appropriations Committee, chaired by Sen. David Farnsworth (R-Mesa).
- Former Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Gould will lead the investigation as special counsel.
- Farnsworth will have to reissue the subpoenas that Hoffman sent out last week to Hobbs, Attorney General Kris Mayes and others and will have to schedule a committee hearing to replace the hearing that Hoffman planned for Sept. 29.
- It's unclear when those things will happen, per Senate Republican spokesperson Kim Quintero. She said she didn't know how much the Senate will pay Gould for his work.
What they're saying: Hoffman blamed the "crooked political media" for focusing on the money his company 1Ten LLC received from Turning Point PAC to help defeat Hobbs and elect Republican nominee Andy Biggs, rather than on corruption allegations against the governor.
- Transferring the matter to Farnsworth and Gould removes "excuses for non-cooperation, strengthens the investigation and ensures the evidence, not their predetermined political narrative, drives any resulting legislative reforms," he said in a press statement.
The other side: Hobbs campaign spokesperson Michael Beyer said "partisan extremists are now scrambling to keep this taxpayer-funded sham alive" in the wake of revelations about Hoffman's campaign work.
- Beyer said public reporting and the AG's investigation showed that there was no wrongdoing by the governor.
Catch up quick: The Arizona Republic reported in 2024 that the Department of Child Safety granted a previously rejected rate hike to Sunshine Residential Homes after the group home provider gave $400,000 to Hobbs' inauguration fund and the Arizona Democratic Party. The company also gave $150,000 to Hobbs' legal defense fund.
- After a two-year investigation, Mayes announced last month that her office found no evidence that would support bribery charges.