{"id":2026973,"date":"2023-09-09T19:30:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-09T23:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arizona-lawmakers-file-complaint-challenging-phoenix-city-council-donation-of-firearms-to-ukraine\/"},"modified":"2023-09-09T19:35:12","modified_gmt":"2023-09-09T23:35:12","slug":"arizona-lawmakers-file-complaint-challenging-phoenix-city-council-donation-of-firearms-to-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arizona-lawmakers-file-complaint-challenging-phoenix-city-council-donation-of-firearms-to-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"Arizona lawmakers challenge Phoenix City Council&#8217;s donation of firearms to Ukraine."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Farizona-lawmakers-file-complaint-challenging-phoenix-city-council-donation-of-firearms-to-ukraine%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2026973&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Unclaimed\u200b Firearms Donated to \u2063Ukraine Amid Controversy<\/h2>\n<p>Approximately 600 unclaimed firearms are reportedly on their way to Ukraine after members of the Phoenix City Council in Arizona approved \u2063donating these \u2064weapons through an independent broker.<\/p>\n<p>In a text to The Epoch Times, House Judiciary Chairman Quang Nguyen, \u2062a Republican, said on Sept. 9, he &#8220;confirmed&#8221; that Phoenix had shipped &#8220;all the firearms&#8221; to \u2062Ukraine but would not elaborate.<\/p>\n<p>On Aug. 21, Rep. \u2062Nguyen and House\u200c Judiciary vice-chairwoman\u200b Rep. Selina Bliss (R) filed an SB1487 \u2063complaint\u200d with the\u2062 Arizona \u200bAttorney General requesting an investigation into the legality of the June 28 city council\u2063 ordinance authorizing the donation.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/atf-raid-on-oklahoma-man-is-warning-for-home-based-gun-dealers-to-be-vigilant-lawyer-says-5488628\">ATF Raid on Oklahoma Man Is Warning for Home-Based Gun Dealers to Be Vigilant, Lawyer\u200c Says<\/a><br \/>\n      <br \/>\n      <span class=\"text-comp-caption\">9\/8\/2023<\/span>\n    <\/li>\n<li>\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/in-depth-atf-agents-carrying-rifles-raid-oklahoma-gun-dealers-home-confiscate-guns-5486650\">IN-DEPTH: \u200cATF Agents Carrying Rifles Raid Oklahoma Gun \u2064Dealer&#8217;s Home, Confiscate Guns<\/a><br \/>\n      <br \/>\n      <span class=\"text-comp-caption\">9\/6\/2023<\/span>\n    <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Arizona state \u200cRep. Quang Nguyen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On Aug. 4, the city manager signed \u200ca contract with broker DT Gruelle to receive and ship 599 unclaimed\u200d firearms as a donation to Ukraine&#8217;s national\u200c police under the \u200bterms\u2064 of the agreement. The \u200cagreement listed the Phoenix Police\u2063 Department&#8217;s Property Management \u2062Bureau as the &#8220;donation point&#8221; for unclaimed firearms.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Nguy\u1ec5n said the cache had an estimated $300,000 to $350,000 in \u200bstreet value and \u200dincluded \u200cAR-15s, AK47s, and other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arizona-lawmakers-file-complaint-challenging-phoenix-city-council-donation-of-firearms-to-ukraine\/\" title=\"Arizona lawmakers challenge Phoenix City Council's donation of firearms to Ukraine.\">military-grade \u200csemi-automatic weapons seized<\/a> by police or turned over \u2064by residents.<\/p>\n<p>A list of\u200c the firearms obtained by The Epoch Times included 9mm pistols made by Smith &#038; Wesson,\u200d Beretta, Glock, and other top-brand manufacturers.<\/p>\n<p>Also on the list were shotguns\u2062 and various carbine rifles using military-grade ammunition.<\/p>\n<p>On Aug. 3, Reps. Nguyen and Bliss sent a letter\u200b to council members objecting \u200cto the city ordinance, saying it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/these-counties-experiencing-election-issues-have-one-thing-in-common\/\" title=\"These Counties Experiencing Election Issues Have One Thing in Common\">violated state law prohibiting<\/a>\u200d the donation of\u200d unclaimed firearms.<\/p>\n<p>Two weeks later, the city responded, confirming it \u200cwould\u2063 move \u2062forward with the donation to Gruelle under the signed agreement.<\/p>\n<p>The company\u200b was responsible for weapons delivery to Ukraine, duties,\u200d and transportation costs.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Tellingly, \u200cthe city made no effort to address any of the state laws identified\u200c in our letter or the Arizona Supreme Court&#8217;s decision in city of Tucson,&#8221; Reps. Nguyen \u2064and Bliss wrote.<\/p>\n<p>In August 2017, Arizona&#8217;s high \u200dcourt ruled\u2062 Tucson had to \u200bstop destroying \u2063thousands of unclaimed firearms\u2063 confiscated and \u200cto sell them instead to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/court-declares-laws-banning-handgun-sales-to-people-under-21-unconstitutional\/\" title=\"Court Declares Laws Banning Handgun Sales To People Under 21 Unconstitutional\">licensed firearms dealers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Arizona is a \u2063constitutional carry\u2063 state, meaning a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-sheriffs-tell-newsom-they-wont-enforce-covid-curfew\/\" title=\"California Sheriffs Tell Newsom They Won't Enforce COVID Curfew\">law-abiding citizen<\/a> \u200dwithout a felony record has the legal right \u200cto carry a firearm either concealed or in\u2064 the open.<\/p>\n<p>Phoenix city officials claim\u2062 the donation of unclaimed firearms is similar to former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey&#8217;s contribution of humanitarian equipment \u2062to Ukraine in 2022, an argument Rep. Nguyen and Bliss refute.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width:1024px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Servicemen of police units\u200d and the National Guard of Ukraine stay on the line by their armored cars during the parade prior to the first patrolling\u2062 in the strengthened \u200bmode in northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, on Jan. 22, 2015. (Sergey Bobok\/AFP\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&#8220;The city&#8217;s willful \u2064ignorance of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/court-rules-against-uber-in-major-win-for-california-workers\/\" title=\"Uber loses court case, workers in California win.\">state\u2064 law<\/a> is \u200dnot only\u2063 troubling; it places \u2064the city in a \u2064precarious position should this \u2064issue be litigated,&#8221; they wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has \u200c30\u2062 days to respond\u2063 to the Aug. 21 request for an investigation under\u200c SB1487.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Yes, our office will\u2063 fulfill its statutory\u200b obligations related to this \u200d1487 complaint. No conclusions have yet been\u2064 made,&#8221; said \u2063Communications Director Richie Taylor in an email to The Epoch Times.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, Rep. Nguyen said the donation of firearms essentially takes money out of the \u2063city&#8217;s general fund \u200dfor public use.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When [the firearms] go off to \u200cthe Ukraine, you have no\u2062 idea\u2063 who will get ahold\u2063 of them. It&#8217;s\u2062 Fast \u2063and Furious Number 17.\u200d We should not be doing this \u200cat all. There is no reason.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Nguyen\u200c stressed that his objecting to the ordinance and weapons\u200d transfer was &#8220;not about the politics of the war.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This city ignores\u2062 state law to \u2063do the feel-good things t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Approximately 600 unclaimed firearms are en route to Ukraine as Phoenix City Council in Arizona authorized their donation through an independent broker. House Judiciary Chairman Quang Nguyen, a Republican, confirmed the shipment of &#8220;all the firearms&#8221; to The Epoch Times on Sept. 9.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":294,"featured_media":2026974,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2026973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2026973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/294"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2026973"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2026973\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2026974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2026973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2026973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2026973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}