PHOENIX, ARIZONA – Today Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee called on Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell to open a concurrent criminal investigation to the Arizona Attorney General’s investigation into Governor Hobbs’ alleged “pay to play” scheme.
“As the Treasurer of Arizona, I am responsible for overseeing, safekeeping, and managing the State of Arizona’s securities and investments, which are duties I take seriously. Arizona taxpayers need financial accountability and deserve to know how their money is being spent,” said Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee. “Providing state dollars to political donors is a grave misuse of public funds. “Pay to play” and special favors have no place in state government.”
Recent media reports outlining what has been described as a “pay-to-play” scheme between Governor Katie Hobbs’ Office, the Arizona Department of Child Safety, and political donors suggest, if true, that public entities are not ensuring fiduciary duties and engaging in a waste and abuse of government resources. Potential state laws implicated by the media reports include violations of the Arizona Gift Clause, fraud schemes and artifices, bribery, illegal expenditure of state monies, conflicts of interest and violations of the Arizona Procurement Code.
In letters to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office and Arizona Auditor General’s Office on Friday, Attorney General Mayes requested that this investigation remain under her sole jurisdiction. Treasurer Yee not only disagrees with this decision, but has asked the Attorney General to avoid duplication of efforts and concerns of conflict of interest and transfer the investigation to either County Attorney Mitchell or an independent county attorney for review and potential action.
“The Attorney General wrongfully asserted that she has singular control over any investigation. I have requested a separate investigation to be conducted by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office,” said Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee. “The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has separate jurisdiction in this matter and the current investigation by the Attorney General’s Office raises concerns of potential ethical conflicts of interest in representing state agencies and officials involved in the alleged scheme.”
Read Treasurer Yee’s letter to Attorney General Kris Mayes here.
Read Treasurer Yee’s letter to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell here.
