{"id":2262465,"date":"2024-06-07T16:41:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-07T20:41:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arizona-ag-launches-investigation-into-alleged-pay-to-play-scheme-involving-katie-hobbs\/"},"modified":"2024-06-07T16:46:23","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T20:46:23","slug":"arizona-ag-launches-investigation-into-alleged-pay-to-play-scheme-involving-katie-hobbs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arizona-ag-launches-investigation-into-alleged-pay-to-play-scheme-involving-katie-hobbs\/","title":{"rendered":"Arizona AG Initiates Probe into Suspected &#8216;Pay-To-Play&#8217; Activities Linked to Katie Hobbs"},"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\">24<\/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-ag-launches-investigation-into-alleged-pay-to-play-scheme-involving-katie-hobbs%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=2262465&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--><p>Da7f8c22&#8243;><\/p><\/div>\n<p>The\u200b Attorney General&#8217;s office in \u2062Arizona has \u2063launched an investigation into an alleged &#8220;pay-to-play&#8221; scheme involving\u2062 Governor Katie Hobbs. A group home company, Sunshine\u200c Residential Homes, received significant benefits after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/facebook-to-resume-funding-candidates-but-only-those-who-certified-bidens-win\/\" title=\"Facebook to Resume Funding Candidates, but Only Those Who Certified Biden's Win\">making political donations<\/a> to the governor&#8217;s inauguration fund and the Arizona Democratic Party.\u200c This\u200c resulted in \u200ba nearly 60% \u200bincrease in the company&#8217;s rates charged to care for children, while other providers faced budget cuts and denials for \u2063pay increases. The company&#8217;s CEO also served on Hobbs&#8217; inaugural committee and\u2063 gave her an award before \u2062the 2022 election. \u200cThe investigation was launched\u2062 after the Arizona Republic reported on the apparent payment \u2062scheme.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<p>The Arizona attorney general\u2019s office said Thursday that it had launched an investigation into an alleged \u201cpay-to-play\u201d scheme linked to Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs.<\/p>\n<p>Democrat Attorney General Kris Mayes\u2019 office sent a letter to State Sen. T.J. Shope explaining the criminal division will probe whether any civil or criminal charges will be brought after a group home company received substantial benefits following six-figure political contributions. Shope <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TJShope\/status\/1798508529286029586\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">demanded<\/a> the investigation after reporting on the apparent payment scheme surfaced in the Arizona Republic.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-1306348772\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-dd12b9f0f505995d2a14328f75b0bf6e fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-dd12b9f0f505995d2a14328f75b0bf6e\"><\/div>\n<p>On Wednesday, the paper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.azcentral.com\/story\/news\/politics\/arizona\/2024\/06\/05\/arizona-group-home-gives-big-to-governor-katie-hobbs-gets-more-state-money\/73957477007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a> that Sunshine Residential Homes, the state\u2019s largest provider of beds for those in need of group home support, received a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/charles-gasparino-putin-played-jerome-powell\/\" title=\"Charles Gasparino: Putin Played Jerome Powell\">significant rate hike<\/a> from the Department of Child Safety (DCS) after making donations to the Arizona Democratic Party and the governor\u2019s inauguration fund. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dow-jones-industrial-average-tanks-500-points-ends-september-down-8\/\" title=\"Dow Jones Industrial Average Tanks 500 Points - Ends September Down 8%\">company received approval<\/a> from DCS for a nearly 60 percent increase in rates charged to care for children. Meanwhile, the department took an altogether different approach to other providers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cArizona\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-supreme-court-lifts-lower-courts-block-of-investigations-of-transgender-procedures-as-child-abuse\/\" title=\"Texas Supreme Court Lifts Lower Court\u2019s Block Of Investigations Of Transgender Procedures As Child Abuse\">child welfare agency<\/a> has for years sought to move vulnerable kids out of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/whistleblower-democrats-stole-votes-for-joe-biden-from-every-developmentally-disabled-person-in-milwaukee-homes-she-spoke-with\/\" title=\"Whistleblower: Democrats Stole Votes for Joe Biden from Every Developmentally Disabled Person in Milwaukee Homes She Spoke With\">group homes<\/a> and into family-like settings,\u201d the Arizona Republic reported. \u201cTo reduce the use of group homes, and combined with budget constraints, the Arizona Department of Child Safety has denied pay increases to home operators and cut loose 16 providers during the contract renewal process.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo other standard group home provider \u2014 there are dozens \u2014 was approved for a rate increase during Hobbs\u2019 tenure,\u201d the Arizona Republic reported. <\/p>\n<p>The company donated $100,000 to a dark-money fund for Hobbs\u2019 inauguration and gave $200,000 to the state Democratic Party before the 2022 election, the Arizona Republic reported. The CEO of Sunshine Residential also served on Hobbs\u2019 inaugural committee and gave Hobbs an award just before the 2022 election.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-456fcb655ccce5f6376a92a3da7f8c22 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-456fcb655ccce5f6376a92a3da7f8c22\"><\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <span class=\"ZaqKbWQ2J1du70xgp\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">BREAKING.\ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n<p>Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs is officially under criminal investigation for alleged &#8220;Pay-to-Play&#8221; scheme.<\/p>\n<p>The Arizona State Attorney General&#8217;s office says it &#8220;will be opening an investigation.&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EnRXidO8jc\">pic.twitter.com\/EnRXidO8jc<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kylenabecker\/status\/1798932944666722376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 7, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The Arizona Republic cited a \u201cspokesperson\u201d for the governor\u2019s office who denied Hobbs had anything to do with the preferential rate increases.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust like past investigations instigated by radical and partisan legislators, the administration will be cleared of wrongdoing,\u201d Hobbs spokesman Christian Slater <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/local\/phoenix\/2024\/06\/07\/attorney-general-investigation-hobbs-pay-to-play-allegation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> Axios. \u201cIt would be outrageous to suggest her administration would not do what\u2019s right for children in foster care.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hobbs won election in 2022 by a little more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/2022-election\/results\/arizona\/statewide-offices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">17,000<\/a> votes. He Republican opponent in that race, Kari Lake, is now running for the Senate seat currently occupied by retiring independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-78f94bc40a7365a5bbc5caacd0c1f5b9 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-78f94bc40a7365a5bbc5caacd0c1f5b9\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">    \t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Arizona attorney general&#8217;s office announced an investigation into a purported &#8220;pay-to-play&#8221; scheme involving Governor Katie Hobbs. A letter from Attorney General Kris Mayes to State Senator T.J. Shope indicated that the criminal division is assessing potential civil or criminal charges<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":494,"featured_media":2262466,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Hobbs-e1717780421617.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2262465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Hobbs-e1717780421617.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2262465","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\/494"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2262465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2262465\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2262466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2262465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2262465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2262465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}