Arizona attorney general to investigate Gov. Hobbs for alleged ‘pay to play’

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has opened an investigation into what a state senator called a possible “pay to play” scandal involving Gov. Katie Hobbs.

The case centers on a report that claims Hobbs rewarded a high-dollar political donor with taxpayer dollars to care for foster children.

The local group home Sunshine Residential Homes is also part of this investigation.

According to published reports, the organization is a big donor to the governor and the state Democratic Party.

Over the past couple of years, Sunshine has donated around $400,000 to the two entities. $100,000 of that went directly into the governor’s inaugural fund in December 2022, about a month before Hobbs was sworn in.

In return, Hobbs is accused of directing the Department of Child Safety to approve a nearly 60% increase in the daily rate Sunshine Residential Homes charges to care for a child.

The report also claims other child care providers were denied increases.

Last month, Arizona’s Family reported on 16 group home providers who were denied contracts from DCS. One of those providers says they were disturbed hearing these allegations.

“I do want the truth and many of the other providers want that too but we do need a better system. Like I said we’ve got about 11,000 kids in Arizona in foster care right now. So there needs to be a better system,” said L’s House program director Cathy Donnell.

Republican state Sen. T.J. Shope from Coolidge said the report prompted him to ask Mayes and Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell to look into it.

“The reality is we’re not a prosecutorial entity. The Legislature, we have a prosecutor in the county. We have a prosecutor in the state. They have criminal divisions and civil divisions and they’re going to go ahead and take a look at this and determine whether or not there’s a there, there,” Shope said.

In response, Mayes’ office sent a letter to Mitchell’s office telling them that the attorney general will investigate this issue, not the county attorney.

A spokeswoman for Mitchell said the county attorney is reviewing the letter.

The Governor’s Office described this as a partisan attack led by Republicans.

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