| NEWS | Mudslingers County Attorney Rachel Mitchell invokes ‘Soros machine’ in campaign email. BY KATYA SCHWENK T he race to become Maricopa County’s next top prosecutor, just weeks in, is beginning to heat up. And not in a good way. On May 11, interim Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell — currently the Republican frontrunner for the vacated seat — sent out an email to supporters, urgently seeking donations. “George Soros is at it again!” read the subject line. The message marked a shift in the tone of the county attorney’s race — which will determine who steers the powerful Maricopa County Attorney’s Office out of troubled waters. In November 2020, when the last elec- tion for the job took place, the Republican and Democratic candidates — Allister Adel and Julie Gunnigle, respectively — ran on a platform of reform. Despite distinct approaches, both promised to take a second look at some policies deemed harsh and defining. If her initial campaign messaging is any indication, Mitchell seemingly is taking a different tack. She presented herself initially as a reasonable, no-nonsense, conservative. It took only a few weeks for her to begin railing about Soros, a bogeyman for the tough-on-crime right. “Soros and his daughter are behind efforts to ‘Defund the Police’ and are trying to undermine our criminal justice system at every turn,” she wrote in the May 11 email that sought donations. This had resulted in a “crime surge across the United States,” she claimed. If she were not elected, Mitchell implied, this surge would arrive in Maricopa County: “Can I count on your support to help fight off the Soros machine?” Mitchell’s campaign explained the email in a statement to Phoenix New Times. “The Maricopa County Attorney’s race is vitally important and it is critical that voters understand how special interest groups have contributed to failed policies in other cities like Chicago and San Francisco where violent crime is surging,” it reads. “The safety of this community is Rachel’s number one priority.” Mitchell’s current chief of staff at the 10 county attorney’s office, Jennifer Liewer, said she couldn’t comment on campaign matters. Really, Wendy? The Arizona Senate investigates Wendy Rogers over Buffalo shooting remark. BY KATYA SCHWENK month, Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers took to social media to write: “Fed boy summer has started in Buffalo,” implying the attack was a false-flag operation. She posted the remark that day on Gab J Win McNamee / Getty Images Former County Attorney Adel resigned from her post at the end of March, a little over a year into her first elected term. Adel’s time at the office was marked by scandal, over the political prosecutions of Black Lives Matter protesters, which were dropped after an outcry, and ques- tions about her sobriety. Adel died at just age 45 on April 30. After Adel’s resignation, candidates quickly put their names in the running to fill the vacancy. As it stands, Mitchell and Gina Godbehere, both of whom have spent decades as prosecutors at the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, are vying for the Republican nomination. Gunnigle, a private attorney who narrowly lost to Adel in November 2020, is the lone Democratic contender. Last month, the county board of super- visors appointed Mitchell to serve as the interim county attorney until voters choose a full-term replacement. This means Mitchell is approaching the August primaries armed with the advantage of incumbency. Mitchell has had a long tenure with MCAO, and has served in its highest ranks, working for a time as the second-in- command. She is perhaps best known for her role at the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, when she interrogated him and Christine Blasey Ford, who had accused him of sexual assault. She has positioned herself as a seasoned, well-respected conservative prosecutor. In prior interviews with New Times and while making other public statements, Mitchell has emphasized that she has the experience required to address the issues and instability that many saw in the office during Adel’s tenure. But although she has touted a focus on victim’s rights, she has paid less lip service to broader questions of criminal justice reform than her predecessor. This recent email signals that, unlike Interim Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell is currently the Republican frontrunner for the vacated seat. Adel, Mitchell is beginning to adopt the tough-on-crime posture that had once defined the agency. Crime was surging, she wrote in her email last week, due to liberal prosecutors advocating criminal justice reforms, and the “special interests” backing them. Gunnigle was quick to bash Mitchell for her latest statements, calling it a “conspira- torial and anti-Semitic campaign stunt.” “Anti-Semitism should always be rejected and I think will be firmly rejected by the voters,” she said, adding: “My finance records are public. Rachel Mitchell’s comments, as usual, are lies to her base.” Mitchell’s campaign was dismissive of Gunnigle’s accusations: “[Mitchell] is focused on addressing issues like prose- cuting dangerous criminals and drug cartels to make our neighborhoods safe, not making baseless accusations against those running against her.” Gunnigle declined further interview requests and said she stood by her claims. Soros, a philanthropist and businessman, is Jewish. At times, criticisms of his philan- thropy deploy anti-Semitic tropes, as Jewish civil rights organizations like the Anti-Defamation League have noted. It is true, though, that Soros has spent millions on local prosecutor races over the last few years, among other political causes. And he has stepped into this county’s politics in the past, most memorably in 2016. That’s when he donated $2 million to a group working to prevent Joe Arpaio’s re-election as sheriff of Maricopa County. He also spent over $1 million in the county attorney’s race that year. A review of all active and inactive independent expendi- ture committees registered with Maricopa County shows that Soros has not spent money independently in a county race since 2016. and Telegram, two social media sites popular on the political right. The posts gained hundreds of likes from Rogers’ supporters. They also sparked national outrage. In the wake of the attacks by an 18-year-old white supremacist, who posted hundreds of pages of his writings, some on the far-right spread conspiracies that the attack was a false flag operation. Rogers appeared to be fueling those claims. By that Monday, two days later, national outlets — including Rolling Stone and Business Insider— had taken notice of Rogers’ comments: “Racist Republican Lawmaker Claims White Supremacist Buffalo Shooting Was False Flag,” read one headline. That afternoon, the Arizona Senate voted to open an ethics investigation into her comment. The motion passed in the Republican- controlled chamber. Other than Rogers herself, only two senators cast dissenting votes: East Valley Gage Skidmore/CC Republicans Warren Petersen, of Gilbert, and Kelly Townsend, of Mesa. Twenty-four senators voted in favor of opening an investigation. “This Senator was up before the ethics committee a year ago. In March, our state senate voted to censure her because of hateful, anti-Semitic comments,” said Arizona State Senator Victoria Steele, a Tucson Democrat who is speaking in support of the investigation. “Spewing hate and furthering racist comments is not what we should be here for.” Several Democratic members of the >>p 13 Senate said they believed that more serious action — like expulsion — was necessary. Senate President Karen >>p 13 ust hours after a shooter killed 10 people in a racist attack at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, earlier this MAY 26TH– JUNE 1ST, 2022 PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | phoenixnewtimes.com
