Arizona House Committee Seeks to Impeach Democrat Attorney General Kris Mayes After Finding That She Abused Power, Neglected Legal Duties, and Committed Malfeasance in Office
The Arizona House Ad Hoc Committee on Executive Oversight recently released a report finding that Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes “abused her power, neglected her duty, and committed malfeasance in office” and recommended her impeachment.
Recall that the 2022 election in Arizona was rigged and stolen when 60% of machines failed on election day in the state’s largest county. Trump-Endorsed Republican Arizona Attorney General Nominee Abe Hamadeh reportedly lost by 280 votes out of more than 2.5 million ballots.
As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, calls to impeach Kris Mayes grew last year after news that she had targeted conservative county election officials who questioned her fraudulent election and are fighting for honest elections moving forward.
An Arizona grand jury indicted Republican Cochise County Supervisors Tom Crosby and Peggy Judd on felony charges of Interference with an Election Officer and Conspiracy — all because they wanted to ensure accuracy with a hand count audit of the stolen 2022 election before officially certifying.
This is perfectly legal as ARS 16-622(A) gives Arizona County Supervisors discretion over canvassing election results, and ARS 16-602(B) requires County Supervisors to conduct a hand count audit of “at least two percent of the precincts in that county.”
The political persecution of Judd and Crosby, as well as a frivolous 2023 lawsuit against Cochise County for attempting to expand their 2022 election hand count, are cited in the report as examples of Mayes’ abuse of power.
Additionally, according to the Ad Hoc committee’s report, “In November 2023, Attorney General Mayes threatened the Mohave County Board of Supervisors with criminal and civil penalties if they voted contrary to her legal opinion,” warning that “an illegally expanded hand count may result in various felony and misdemeanor penalties.”
More recently, a grand jury convened by Kris Mayes and stacked with Trump-hating leftists indicted Trump 2020 alternate electors, Trump attorneys, and GOP activists for casting an alternative slate of electors after the 2020 election.
The report also cites Mayes’ weaponization of her office to further her pro-abortion agenda, attack Arizona farmers, and refuse to defend state laws in court, namely the Save Women’s Sports Act, which would have prevented biological males from competing against females in school sports.
Mayes also “hindered the Committee’s work by failing to timely respond to information and records requests and by refusing to testify.” In a statement to ABC 15, a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s office said, “This partisan stunt by far-right members of the legislature makes a mockery of real legislative oversight. It is based on nothing more than political and policy disagreements that legislators like Rep. Jacqueline Parker have with Attorney General Mayes.”
More below:
Arizona Sun Times reports,
Five Republican committee members on a special House panel initiated impeachment proceedings against Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes on Friday. The lawmakers accused her of abuse of power, neglect of duties, and malfeasance in office.
State Representative Jacqueline Parker (R-Mesa) (pictured above, foreground), who chairs the panel, announced the release of a 102-page report detailing these allegations, which has stirred significant political controversy.
The committee’s investigation highlighted Mayes’ use of legal resources to target political opponents, described as “law-fare.” Mayes has dismissed the report as a partisan attack by “radical Republicans aimed at undermining her work.” Democrats assigned to the committee refused to participate. Mayes spokesperson said, “The investigative report released today by the sham House ad hoc oversight committee isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. This partisan stunt by far-right members of the Legislature makes a mockery of real legislative oversight.”
Parker said, “The people of Arizona deserve better from the state’s chief legal officer. … I hope all House members will thoroughly review the Committee’s report and findings and agree to impeach Attorney General Mayes…”.
Per the report:
The House Ad Hoc Committee on Executive Oversight has investigated Attorney General Kris Mayes for misconduct in office. The Committee finds that Attorney General Mayes has abused her power, neglected her duty, and committed malfeasance in office.
1. Attorney General Mayes threatened the Mohave County Board of Supervisors in November 2023 with personal criminal and civil penalties if they voted contrary to her unsolicited legal opinion. Attorney General Mayes’ threat affected at least one vote in the Board’s 3-2 decision. The Attorney General does not have authority to declare existing law or to threaten public officials with criminal or civil penalties if they vote against her wishes. The Committee finds that Attorney General Mayes abused her power and committed malfeasance in office.
2. Attorney General Mayes used the legal system to attack her political opponents by suing Cochise County and its Board of Supervisors and making irrelevant and inflammatory accusations against them. The Committee obtained some evidence relating to this lawsuit, but Attorney General Mayes has not fully produced records that the Committee requested more than eight weeks ago. The Committee finds that Attorney General Mayes abused her power.
3. Attorney General Mayes issued a consumer alert filled with deception, fraud, and misrepresentations about Arizona organizations providing health care services to women. Attorney General Mayes failed to produce any Arizona evidence supporting the statements in her alert. The Committee finds that Attorney General Mayes abused her power by issuing an alert that runs contrary to the Consumer Fraud Act.
4. Attorney General Mayes hosted town halls, threatened public nuisance lawsuits, and advocated for ballot measures relating to groundwater use. Arizona law protects farmers from such litigation and prohibits electioneering with public funds. The Committee finds that Attorney General Mayes abused her power by using public resources to attempt to influence an election and proposing action—filing a lawsuit or referring a measure to the ballot—the Attorney General does not have authority to take.
5. Attorney General Mayes refused to defend the Save Women’s Sports Act when challenged in court by disqualifying her office, and she refused to explain her decision to the Committee. Attorney General Mayes also has refused to defend other state laws. The Committee finds that Attorney General Mayes neglected her duty by failing to defend state laws.
6. Attorney General Mayes hindered the Committee’s work by failing to timely respond to information and records requests and by refusing to testify. The Committee finds that Attorney General Mayes neglected her duty by failing to adequately respond to the Committee.
For these reasons, the Committee finds that Attorney General Mayes has committed impeachable offenses. The Committee recommends the House adopt a resolution impeaching Attorney General Mayes and appointing a board of managers to prosecute her at a Senate trial.
Read the full report below:
You can email Jordan Conradson here, and read more of Jordan Conradson’s articles here.