Arizona Republican Scandals | Updated List of GOP Scandals in AZ

Scandal Categories
Arizona Republican U.S. Congress Member & Candidate Scandals
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Rick RenziFmr. U.S. Representative

10/28/13
Strongarmed leaders of a copper mining company into purchasing a large tract of land from a business associate who owed him money in exchange for him sponsoring legislation that would be favorable to the company, even once explicitly telling those involved "no Sandlin Property, no bill" and then failed to pay taxes on the $733,000 he received from the sale once the deal went through


2/22/08
Embezzled $400k in insurance premiums from a company he owned and deposited it into his congressional campaign account and then tried to cover his tracks by transferring ownership of the company to his wife


According to charging documents filed by federal officials
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Trent FranksFmr. U.S. Representative

12/08/17
Pressured a female aide to take $5 million to carry his child as a surrogate mother and strongly implied he wanted to impregnate her through intercourse since he was against invitro fertilization


According to a firsthand account from the former aide and reported on by the Associated Press
Arizona Republican Executive Branch Scandals
Arizona Republican State Legislator Scandals
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Frank AntenoriFmr. State Senator [R-AZ]

7/21/16
Unlawfully entered and hunted wild game on the grounds of a restricted military base in southern Arizona


According to charging documents filed by federal officials
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Steve MontenegroState Representative
12k
2/22/18
Engaged in an online affair with a Republican digital media coordinator and received a topless photograph of her while also being a married pastor who publicly professed to be a "leader of virtue"


According to an exclusive report by AZ Central
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Austin SmithState Representative

6/10/25
Forged "rows" of voter names, addresses and signatures on petitions he filed to qualify for the 2024 Republican primary in Arizona while also championing himself as an "election integrity warrior" who routinely espoused voter fraud conspiracy theories


According to charging documents filed by state officials
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11/29/23
Illegally delayed certifying her county's 2022 midterm election results for weeks by citing unfounded and baseless allegations of fraud and only allowed the certification to go through after a judge ordered her to


According to charging documents filed by state officials
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David StringerFmr. State Representative

3/30/19
Paid two teenage boys he met in a park $10 each to perform oral sex on them and then had them perform oral sex on him


According to an exclusive report by the Arizona Republic

3/29/19
Had oral and penetrative sex with an underage boy as young as 13-years-old on ten separate occasions and got caught when the boy's father found out and reported him to the police


According to charging documents filed by local officials
Arizona Republican City Official Scandals
Other Arizona Republican Scandals
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Tom CrosbyCounty Commissioner [R-AZ]

11/29/23
Illegally delayed certifying the results of his county's 2022 midterm election by citing baseless allegations of supposed voter fraud


According to charging documents filed by state officials
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Joe ArpaioFmr. Sheriff [R-AZ]

7/31/17
Blatantly disregarded a new law that prevented the targeting of people of Latino descent showing complete disdain for "law and order" while also having had espoused excessive over-the-top rhetoric that claimed the opposite and was found guilty of criminal contempt of court


He was convicted of criminal contempt but was pardoned by Donald Trump before being sentenced