If so, he's got the R nomination locked up.
From CNN (and I presume, the Fulton County Sheriff's Office) -
Maybe someone should send this pic to Mark Finchem, Kari Lake, and all of Cheeto's other sycophants/apologists in AZ.
For that matter, perhaps Kelli Ward and the other fake electors should be added to that list.
Pointed at this by Taegan Goddard's Political Wire.
If not, maybe the Perryville prison complex (which houses women) needs a doctor. The Perryville prison is in Goodyear.
From Rolling Stone (behind a paywall) -
Arizona Investigators ‘Aggressively’ Looking at Top Trump Ally Kelli Ward
Arizona’s criminal probe into the 2020 fake electors plot is heating up and investigators are now asking plenty of questions about a key Donald Trump ally involved in it: former state GOP chair Kelli Ward.
The Arizona probe has been accelerating in the past several weeks, two sources familiar with the matter tell Rolling Stone, with prosecutors gathering evidence and speaking with individuals with knowledge of how the fake electors scheme was carried out in the state. The fake electors plot was a core component of the then-president and his aligned lawyers’ plans to overturn his 2020 election defeat and stop the legitimate transfer of power to his Democratic successor Joe Biden.
She is still a licensed doctor.
From the website of the Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners in Medicine and Surgery -
That address goes to a weight loss place.
From the website of the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce -
Just a guess here, but if she goes to prison, there probably won't be much demand for her weight loss knowledge.
Certain people here should be afraid, very afraid. Because the next knock they hear may not be a welcome one.
From CNN -
Michigan AG charges participants in 2020 fake elector plot
Sixteen fake electors who signed certificates falsely claiming President Donald Trump won Michigan in the 2020 election have been charged with multiple felonies, state Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday.
This is the first time any of the fake electors have been charged with a crime related to the scheme, versions of which took place in multiple states.
In Arizona, the fake electors scheme is being investigated by the current AG here, Kris Mayes.
From AZ Mirror, dated 3/3/2023, written by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy -
Kris Mayes is investigating Trump’s ‘fake electors,’ focusing on threats to election workers
While her predecessor used a dedicated election crimes division to investigate hundreds of bogus election fraud claims, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes says she will redirect the unit’s focus to prosecute election-related threats and protect voting rights.
“We are almost at a crisis situation in our state, in the sense that we now have a third of our counties experiencing the loss, or should I say the resignation, of a high-level election official due to death threats and harassment. That is unacceptable,” Mayes said in an interview with the Arizona Mirror.
Certain people here should be worried; in light current developments, they may want to make the best deal that they can. At least, I would suggest that if I had any legal knowledge at all, but since I don't, I'll encourage them to keep whistling past the graveyard.
Those people?
From another AZ Mirror article, dated 2/1/2022, written by Kira Lerner (as the article is from 2022, some of details of their non-fraudulent activities have changed in the interim) -
[snip]
(A * indicates a person who was listed as chairperson or secretary of their state group and who was subpoenaed by the House Jan. 6 committee.)
ARIZONA (11)
Nancy Cottle*: Cottle is the first vice president of programs for the Arizona Federation of Republican Women. She has been active in Arizona politics for the past decade and holds various other positions on the Maricopa County Republican Committee and the AZGOP executive committee.
Loraine B. Pellegrino*: Pellegrino has served as president of Ahwatukee Republican Women.
Tyler Bowyer: Bowyer is the chief operating officer of Turning Point USA, a Phoenix-based nonprofit organization that advocates for conservative values in schools. He has previously worked for the Republican National Committee and the Maricopa County Republican Party.
Jake Hoffman: Hoffman is an Arizona state representative for the 12th District. Hoffman also runs a conservative digital marketing company, Rally Forge, that was banned from Facebook and suspended from Twitter for engaging in “coordinated inauthentic behavior” on behalf of Turning Point Action, an affiliate of Turning Point USA. The company was enlisting and paying teens to share comments with right-wing opinions, including that mail-in ballots would lead to fraud and that coronavirus numbers were intentionally inflated. Experts told the Washington Post in 2020 that the effort was “among the most ambitious domestic influence campaigns uncovered this election cycle.”
Anthony T. Kern: From January 2015 until January 2021, Kern was an Arizona state representative for the 20th District. He is currently running for election to the Arizona state Senate to represent the 20th District. Kern participated in the January 6 riots in D.C. and has lied about breaching the U.S. Capitol building
James Lamon: Lamon is running for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Arizona. He is a veteran and was previously CEO of DEPCOM Power, a solar energy contractor, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Robert Montgomery: In 2020, Montgomery served as the chairman of the Cochise County Republican Committee.
Samuel I. Moorhead: Moorhead serves as the second vice chair of the Gila County Arizona Republican Party.
Greg Safsten: Safsten is the executive director of the Republican Party of Arizona. He previously worked for Rep. Andy Biggs and Rep. Matt Salmon, both of Arizona, in their U.S. House offices, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Dr. Kelli Ward: Ward is an osteopathic physician who has served as the chair of the Arizona Republican Party since 2019. Following the 2020 election, Ward aided Trump’s efforts to invalidate the election results and filed a number of lawsuits to nullify Arizona’s results. In 2016, she challenged the late U.S. Sen. John McCain in the Republican primary but lost with 39 percent of the vote. She previously served in the Arizona state Senate.
Dr. Michael Ward: Ward met his wife, Kelli Ward, while he was serving in the Arizona Air National Guard. In 2019, he was accused of spitting in the eye of a former volunteer of his wife’s when she was a candidate for Senate because the volunteer went on to support her former political foe, Martha McSally. Michael Ward denied touching, pushing, threatening or spitting on the volunteer in an email to police, according to AZ Central.
Yes, the 2022 election is barely in the books and the inevitable lawsuit has been filed but not resolved, but 2024 races have already started.
First, a few caveats:
1. No actual humans were spoken to during the production of this post. This is purely about me throwing ideas against the wall and seeing what sticks.
2. Any names/people mentioned here are folks who I think may look at running for a particular office but that doesn't mean that I think that all will actually run for that office.
3. Anyone who currently holds an office will be presumed to retain that office, if they actually run for it. Some will be vulnerable and will lose their offices.
US President:
The 2020 nominees, Joe Biden and Cheeto, are making noises about running (actually, Cheeto has already announced his candidacy). However, I don't believe that either will actually run in 2024. They'll both be *old*. Right now, both are making noises about doing so because of Biden's desire to not to already be seen as a lame duck POTUS and Cheeto's desire to not be seen as incarcerated.
And his ego. Cheeto's vanity is boundless. For him, the presidency is less about public service and more about self-aggrandizement. And profit.
US Senate seat from Arizona:
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's seat is up for election, and her decision to change her registration to Independent opens up the Democratic primary in a big way,
The Republican primary was already going to be wide open but her move may make it wilder.
Doug Ducey, the current governor in AZ, has long been rumored to be eyeing Sinema's seat.
Mark Brnovich, the current Attorney General in AZ, may have lost the R Senate primary in 2022 and is term-limited as AG, but he doesn't seem to be going away - he's running radio ads catering to rural voters. He may simply be burning off his budget, but I think that he's keeping his options open.
Paul Gosar and/or Andy Biggs, both are batshit crazy members of Congress. Assuming they avoid going to prison over their involvement in the insurrection of January 6, 2021.
Kelli Ward, currently the batshit crazy chair of the AZGOP. Assuming she avoids going to prison over their involvement in the insurrection of January 6, 2021.
An unnamed vassal of a rich guy who's looking to by a Senate seat. Think: 2024 version of Blake Masters/Peter Thiel.
Other election-denying/anti-democracy Rs may also looking at the seat.
With Sinema's change, the R primary transitions from being the political equivalent of a pro wrestling battle royal to being an outright bar brawl.
If Sinema appears on the ballot, it will have the effect of siphoning votes away from the Democratic nominee, so if the R nominee isn't a batshit crazy ones, they'll win in a walkover; if the R voters pick a crazy nominee in their primary, the race will closer, maybe close enough for the D nominee to win. For the record, while I consider Ducey and Brnovich to be poor public servants and simply lousy human beings, they're not batshit crazy.
The Democratic primary will be less wide open than the Republican primary but it will be more open than it would have been before Sinema left.
Ruben Gallego, current member of Congress, is the very early favorite here because he was already going to challenge Sinema in the primary when she was still a D.
Greg Stanton, current member of Congress and former mayor of Phoenix, has already made noises critical of Sinema. From Twitter (pic taken yesterday) -
Other Ds who may be looking at the race -
Kate Gallego, current mayor of Phoenix. Termed out and will not be in office in 2024.
Regina Romero, current mayor of Tucson.
Raquel Teran, currently in the AZ State Senate and the chair of the Arizona Democratic Party. In AZ, it's almost a tradition that one doesn't become a state party chair without running for high office.
Kathy Hoffman. currently the Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction. She lost her re-election bid in 2022.
US Congress -
I expect that most of the current officeholders here will retain their office, but three of the Rs will be especially vulnerable - Juan Ciscomani in southern AZ and Eli Crane in Northern AZ because they will be first termers and David Schweikert because he's ethically challenged.
Also, if Ruben Gallego and/or Stanton run for the Senate, it wouldn't be surprising to see 1 or 2 (or more) of the others listed as potentially running for Senate to look at those seats instead.
Arizona Corporation Commission -
Three seats will be on the ballot. They're currently held by D Anna Tovar and Rs Lea Marquez Peterson and Jim O'Connor. While I expect that all of them will run for reelection I cannot and will not guess at what the primary fields will look like here.
She may also lead to Cheeto's downfall.
From MSNBC, dated 10/27/2022, emphasis added by me -
Kelli Ward could be a smoking gun on Trump's criminality
Arizona GOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward could ultimately be the skeleton key that unlocks a trove of details about former President Donald Trump’s scheme to overturn Arizona’s 2020 presidential election results and stay in power indefinitely.
But she doesn’t want to find out.
[snip]
For months now, Kelli Ward has been trying to keep her phone records away from the committee, arguing that it shouldn’t have jurisdiction because she says the fake electors scheme is unrelated to the Jan. 6 attack, that the committee's scope is overly broad, and that she was acting within her First Amendment right when she engaged in this anti-democratic fake electors plot.
From Politico via Yahoo! -
Court clears way for Jan. 6 probe to get Arizona Senate candidate Ward’s phone records
A federal appeals court has turned down Arizona GOP senate candidate Kelli Ward’s attempt to block a House committee subpoena for her phone records in connection with an investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol building and other events related to the 2020 presidential election.
A divided panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals voted, 2-1, to deny Ward’s request for an order preventing telephone carrier T-Mobile from complying with the subpoena issued by the House select committee probing Jan. 6.
Ward argued that the subpoena violates her First Amendment rights by intruding on her activities as chairperson of the Arizona Republican Party, but the order issued Saturday by the appeals court panel’s majority said those concerns weren’t serious enough to keep the House from accessing details about her calls.
For most folks, Saturday tends to be good day.
Ward isn't most folks.
From The Hill -
Arizona appeals court temporarily blocks state’s 150-year-old abortion ban, restoring access
The Arizona Court of Appeals has temporarily blocked the state’s more-than-a-century-old abortion ban from being enforced after a judge had previously ruled it could be.
A three-judge panel from the appeals court ruled on Friday that a judge erred in lifting an injunction against the law, which bans the procedure except for cases where the pregnant person’s life is at risk, without considering other laws limiting abortion access that the state has passed since the injunction was put in place nearly 50 years ago.
While, and this is just a guess, she may not like this ruling, she'll find a way to spin it, probably fund raising off of it.
The other item is one she may *really* hate.
From the AZ Republic, written by Richard Ruelas -
Judge clears way for Jan. 6 committee to see phone records Arizona Republican party chair
A federal judge on Friday cleared the way for the Select House Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol to subpoena the cell phone records of Kelli Ward, the head of Arizona’s Republican Party.
U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa had already decided in August that the committee was within its rights to seek the records, dismissing a lawsuit that Ward had filed against the Jan. 6 committee in January.
I expect that Ward will find that fund raising off of being anti-choice is more lucrative that fund raising off of being a traitor,
Pointed at this by Taegan Goddard's Political Wire.
From Politico -
Arizona GOP Chair pleaded the Fifth, Jan. 6 committee attorney says
An attorney for Ward declined to comment.
Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward asserted her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination to avoid answering questions from the Jan. 6 select committee, a lawyer for the panel revealed in federal court Tuesday.
“Dr. Ward was deposed by the select committee, and she declined to answer on every substantive question and asserted her rights under the Fifth Amendment,” select committee attorney Eric Columbus said during a court hearing before Arizona-based U.S. District Court Judge Diane Humetewa. Columbus did not say when Ward’s deposition took place, though the select panel’s subpoena instructed her to appear on March 8, 2022.
Perhaps justifiably, this tidbit was lost in the hubbub surrounding SCOTUS' overturning of Roe was this.
From the AZ Mirror, written by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy -
AZGOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward subpoenaed in connection with false elector slate
Arizona GOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward was issued a subpoena by the Department of Justice along with other Arizonans who signed onto a document that would have sent fake electors to Congress on Jan. 6.
Politico first broke the news of Ward and her husband Michael being subject of a subpoena, citing an unnamed source who was familiar with the case but could not speak publicly. Alexander Kolodin, the Wards’ attorney and an attorney for both the Arizona Senate and Cyber Ninjas, confirmed to the Arizona Republic that he was representing them in the matter.
I was going to title this with a "Dear USDOJ..." title, but it was too long.
As in "Dear USDOJ: A bunch of crazy people, insurrectionists, insurrectionist-enablers, and wannabes met in a rather infamous town...and bragged about it."
I don't know if it quite falls into the category of the 1957 Apalachin gathering of the Mob (as far as I know, no arrests happened today), but it seems to qualify as the modern equivalent.
Downside: you'll lose some brain cells...and possibly be exposed to Covid.
Upside: you won't get a DUI because of this lineup.
From KNXV (entire article quoted here because it includes a list of speakers) -
Former President Donald Trump event to be held Saturday in Florence, guest speakers announced
Former President Donald Trump is set to hold a Save America rally in Florence this Saturday with multiple guest speakers including Mike Lindell, Dr. Kelli Ward, and other state representatives.
Event organizers confirmed Tuesday that gates would open at 8 a.m. and doors would open at 2 p.m. for the 4:30 p.m. event on Saturday, Jan. 15 at Canyon Moon Ranch.
Trump is set to speak at 7 p.m.
Guest speakers at the event were also announced Tuesday. The list includes:
- Kari Lake, Donald J. Trump Endorsed Candidate for Governor of Arizona
- State Representative Mark Finchem, State Representative from Arizona's 11th District and Donald J. Trump Endorsed Candidate for Secretary of State of Arizona
- Representative Paul Gosar, US Representative from Arizona's 4th Congressional District
- Representative Andy Biggs, US Representative from Arizona's 5th Congressional District
- Representative Debbie Lesko, US Representative from Arizona's 8th Congressional District
- Dr. Kelli Ward, Chairwoman of the Republican Party of Arizona
- Dr. Alveda King, Donald J. Trump for President 2020 Advisory Board Member
- Boris Epshteyn, Donald J. Trump for President 2020 Strategic Advisor and Advisory Board Member
- Mike Lindell, CEO of My Pillow
Matt Gaetz, Devin Nunes, Ted Cruz, and even Cheeto himself (and others) didn't invent Republican hatred of society; others did it before them.
In June of 2013, in a special session, the Arizona legislature voted to expand eligibility for AHCCCS, what Arizona calls Medicaid. The vote was not unanimous (not hardly).
The special session bills were HB2010 and SB1009. HB2010 was later substituted for SB1009 and the AZSenate ended up voting on HB2010.
Every member who voted against it didn't even pretend to represent their constituents (because it helped them) or even Arizonans as a whole (because the expansion benefited them, too), they just argued that "good Republicans" wouldn't vote for it.
In other words, the people opposed to the measure favored their party and ideology over the folks they (allegedly) worked for.
Some of the people are out of the legislature/politics; some are still there; others have moved on to other political positions - Kimberly Yee was the a state senator but is now the state's treasurer and is running for governor, Nancy Barto and Judy Burges are still in the legislature, Michele Reagan was a state senator but then be Arizona Secretary of State and now a Justice of the Peace in north Scottsdale; Kelli Ward was then a state senator and is now chairwoman of the Arizona Republican Party; Andy Biggs was then president of the AZSenate and is now a (presumed) treasonous member of Congress; Brenda Barton and Paul Boyer are still in the legislature; Karen Fann is now president of the AZSenate; David Gowan, David Livingston, and Rick Gray are still in the legislature; J.D. Mesnard and Warren Petersen are still in the legislature; Justin Olson was then a state representative and is now a member of the Arizona Corporation Commission; and Kelly Townsend and Michelle Ugenti (now Ugenti-Rita) are also still in the legislature. Ugenti-Rita is now running for AZ Secretary of State.
Townsend and Ugenti-Rita famously dislike each other, but they are united in their dislike for Arizonans.
In case someone doesn't believe me, or are simply gluttons for punishment, video recordings of previous legislative meeting can be found here.
To watch these meetings, set the dropdown menu to 2013, 51st Legislature, 1st Special Session.
The highlighted vids are the relevant ones.
Ex-Colorado GOP Head Ryan Call Disbarred In Pro-Trump PAC Funds Case
Former Colorado Republican Party chair Ryan Call will be disbarred after acknowledging he took nearly $280,000 from a super PAC supporting former President Donald Trump while Call served as the political action committee’s treasurer. Colorado Politics reports that the state Supreme Court’s presiding disciplinary judge issued the decision after Call admitted to transferring the funds from 2016 to 2019.Call also acknowledged he misled members of his former Denver-based law firm about his activities with the committee. Rebuilding America Now PAC was created in 2016 by former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort and Tom Barrack, a real estate investor. Call didn’t return requests for comment.
[snip]Arizona GOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward, a physician, tweeted support for people who have been pushing ivermectin as well, even suggesting that Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan, who is leading the controversial “audit” of the 2020 election, use the medication after contracting COVID.
Couldn't, and probably wouldn't, happen to a nicer guy.
Gotta love it when Chemtrail Kelli is in a pic with TFG and the Farter-in-Chief.
From CNN -
Rudy Giuliani's law license has been suspended in Washington, DC, after he temporarily lost his license in New York for pushing election lies and that state court system looks further into his case.
The appeals court in DC said Giuliani would be suspended from working as an attorney in the city "pending outcome" of his situation in New York, according to disciplinary court records.
Dear [cpmaz],Contrast Congressman Mitchell's efforts on behalf of his constituents with the antics of the various GOP "contenders" for a spot on November's ballot -
Our housing crisis is real; it is widespread; and it has reached deep into our economy, affecting us all. Inaction is not a responsible option.
Last weekend, I hosted my second Home Foreclosure Assistance Workshop in Ahwatukee. Arizona continues to have one of the worst foreclosure rates in the nation. One out of every 189 housing units in Arizona received a foreclosure notice during the month of June. That means that over 14,000 homes in Maricopa County alone went into foreclosure last month and gives us the third-highest foreclosure rate in the country.
Arizona Republic: Homeowners facing mortgage woes seek help at seminar.
I have heard far too many stories from people who are experiencing financial trouble, and their mortgage servicers will not take their calls until they are at least three-months behind on their payments. They feel like they are getting the run around and they want someone to help answer their questions. They feel like there is no one on their side.
That’s why I’ve been working hard with my colleagues in Congress to address foreclosures head-on. At the center of most home foreclosures is a house that has lost a lot of value, so I’ve proposed new tax incentives for homebuyers to help stimulate the housing market here in Arizona and across the country. I’ve also backed legislation that would make it easier for folks to get loan modifications when they are upside-down on their mortgage, or to refinance even if they have little-to-no equity in their home.
Foreclosure Prevention & Survival Resource Center: Online center providing links to housing, financial and consumer protection agencies.
But there’s more to be done. I believe we need more extensive tax cuts to help spur home sales and a plan that will avoid rewarding bad actors.
I will continue to fight, tackling foreclosures and decreasing home values head on. I welcome you to call my office with any questions, concerns and to see if our caseworkers can help. As always, please feel free to contact my office by clicking here or by calling (480) 946-2411.
Sincerely,
Harry
The piece is simple; it contains one fact that leads to one conclusion. Schweikert runs a vulture fund that preys on people, so he's wrong for Arizona. That's it.Court record regarding Salvino's bankruptcy/fraud issues here, and like the link to the hit piece above, courtesy Espresso Pundit.
There are only two problems with the piece and--unfortunately for Salvino--they are pretty big problems. First, the one fact on the piece is wrong. Schweikert operates a fund that buys properties--from BANKS. Hmm, that's not nearly as ominous. In fact, it ruins the entire point of hit piece. Dude, if you build a hit piece around ONE fact. That fact had better be true.
But that's not the real problem with this piece. The real problem is that Dr. Chris Salivino has no business mentioning investors or housing. That's because he opens the door for Schweikert to point out Salvino's disastrous financial history...bankruptcy, fraud, eviction notices and tax liens.
"CO-SPONSORED AND VOTED FOR SB1070"
