{"id":2307428,"date":"2024-07-24T14:28:02","date_gmt":"2024-07-24T18:28:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arizona-lawmaker-loses-police-endorsement-after-calling-her-speeding-ticket-political-persecution-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-07-24T14:31:11","modified_gmt":"2024-07-24T18:31:11","slug":"arizona-lawmaker-loses-police-endorsement-after-calling-her-speeding-ticket-political-persecution-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arizona-lawmaker-loses-police-endorsement-after-calling-her-speeding-ticket-political-persecution-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Arizona lawmaker loses police endorsement after calling her speeding ticket \u2018political persecution\u2019 &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/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-lawmaker-loses-police-endorsement-after-calling-her-speeding-ticket-political-persecution-washington-examiner%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=2307428&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>Arizona lawmaker, Republican\u200b state Sen. \u200dJustine \u200cWadsack, lost the endorsement of the largest law \u2064enforcement body in the state after calling her speeding ticket &#8220;political \u2062persecution.&#8221; Wadsack received the ticket for going 71 mph in a 35\u200c mph zone and refused to sign it, claiming she was being persecuted. The police union withdrew\u200d its endorsement just before the primary election, citing her conduct as unbecoming of\u2064 an elected representative.\u200c Tucson City Attorney Mike Rankin clarified that the ticket was not persecution but prosecution for endangering\u2064 others by speeding.  <\/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\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Arizona lawmaker loses police endorsement after calling her speeding ticket &lsquo;political persecution&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1696132\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>After an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/arizona\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Arizona<\/a> lawmaker called her speeding ticket &ldquo;political persecution,&rdquo; she lost the endorsement of one of the largest law enforcement bodies in the state.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republicans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Republican\">Republican<\/a> state Sen. Justine Wadsack received a speeding ticket in March for going 71 mph in a 35 mph zone. Now, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/slap-in-the-face-chicago-cops-vote-no-confidence-in-mayor-lori-lightfoot-police-chief-david-brown\/\" title=\"\u2018Slap In The Face\u2019: Chicago Cops Vote \u2018No-Confidence\u2019 In Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Police Chief David Brown\">largest police union<\/a> in the state is withdrawing its endorsement, just a week out from Arizona&rsquo;s primary election.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;While Sen. Wadsack has been a consistent supporter of public safety in her official capacity, this incident and her decision to publicly impugning the motives of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-claimed-it-inked-deal-with-guatemala-to-increase-border-security-guatemala-says-it-never-signed\/\" title=\"Biden Admin Claimed It Inked Deal With Guatemala To Increase Border Security. Guatemala Says It Never Signed.\">police personnel<\/a> is conduct unbecoming an elected representative,&rdquo; Arizona Fraternal Order of Police President Paul Sheldon said in a statement obtained by the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azcentral.com\/story\/opinion\/op-ed\/laurieroberts\/2024\/07\/24\/senator-justine-wadsack-speeding-police-endorsement\/74521164007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><em>  Arizona Republic<\/em><\/a>. The organization has over 9,400 members across the state.<\/p>\n<p>When an officer with the Tucson Police Department Specialized Response Division tried to arrange a time for her to sign the criminal speeding citation in June, Wadsack said she was under political persecution.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;[Wadsack] immediately became defensive and argued that she was in fact not speeding,&rdquo; the TPD officer wrote in the report of the call, noting Wadsack declined to sign the citation.<\/p>\n<p>Wadsack told the officer that she was upset the citation was coming months after she was pulled over, which the officer said was because she was issued the ticket during Arizona&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/update-letter-by-ted-cruz-and-6-gop-senators-and-4-senators-elect-sign-letter-to-reject-election-call-for-election-commission-10-day-emergency-audit-takes-place\/\" title=\"UPDATE: Letter by Ted Cruz and 6 GOP Senators and 4 Senators-Elect Sign Letter to Reject Election \u2013 Call For Election Commission 10-Day Emergency Audit Takes Place\">legislative session<\/a>. Legislative immunity prevented her from receiving the ticket at the time but &ldquo;did not prevent her from receiving a ticket once the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maryland-dems-kill-crime-bill-amid-baltimore-murder-spike\/\" title=\"Maryland Dems Kill Crime Bill Amid Baltimore Murder Spike\">legislative session adjourned<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;She demanded to speak with the chief of police and said she was under &lsquo;political persecution,&#8217;&rdquo; according to the report. &ldquo;She also said that I was being aggressive and got upset when I called her Mrs. Wadsack and not Senator Wadsack. She then abruptly ended the conversation and hung up the phone.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Tucson City Attorney Mike Rankin pointed out the difference between &ldquo;persecution,&rdquo; as Wadsack claimed, and criminal prosecution.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Citing someone &ndash; Ms. Wadsack or anyone else &ndash; for putting other people in danger by driving at speeds more than 20 miles per hour above the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nfl-star-arrested-for-criminal-speeding-in-arizona\/\" title=\"NFL Star Arrested For \u2018Criminal Speeding\u2019 In Arizona\">posted speed limit<\/a> within city limits is not &lsquo;persecution,&rsquo;&rdquo; he told the <em>Arizona Mirror<\/em>. &ldquo;It is prosecution.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>At the time of the ticket, she told the officer she was &ldquo;racing to get home,&rdquo; because the battery on her Tesla was dying and only had four miles left. That reasoning may not hold up, however.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;That doesn&rsquo;t make any sense at all,&rdquo; Michael Ahern, who was a Tesla senior staff engineer for 11 years, told the <a href=\"https:\/\/azmirror.com\/2024\/07\/22\/sen-justine-wadsack-claims-political-persecution-over-tucson-criminal-speeding-ticket\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><em>Arizona Mirror<\/em><\/a>. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no car that gets more efficient as you floor it,&rdquo; electric or gas, he said.<\/p>\n<p>Her claims of legislative immunity also may not hold up. In 2018, Republican state Rep. Paul Mosley, was pulled over for going 97 mph in a 55 mph area and claimed legislative immunity. At the time, Republican lawmakers in the state did not believe the defense applied to traffic violations.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Nothing short of an emergency justifies that kind of speeding, and assertions of immunity in that situation seem outside the intent of the constitutional provision regarding legislative immunity,&rdquo; then-House Speaker J.D. Mesnard said.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> reached out to Wadsack for comment.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1696132\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1696132\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Arizona lawmaker, Republican\u200b state Sen. \u200dJustine \u200cWadsack, lost the endorsement of the largest law \u2064enforcement body in the state after calling her speeding ticket &#8220;political \u2062persecution.&#8221; Wadsack received the ticket for going 71 mph in a 35\u200c mph zone and refused to sign it, claiming she was being persecuted. The police union withdrew\u200d its endorsement &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2910,"featured_media":2307429,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/tucson-arizona-police-car.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4472,3914,36032,36034,36033],"class_list":["post-2307428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-arizona","tag-lawmaker","tag-police-endorsement","tag-political-persecution","tag-speeding-ticket"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/tucson-arizona-police-car.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2307428","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\/2910"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2307428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2307428\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2307429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2307428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2307428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2307428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}