| NEWS | Kris Mayes Campaign Dishonest from p 7 “We have all had life experiences where we, as individuals, have learned, grown and evolved into the people we are today,” Knight said. “Abe grew up, joined the mili- tary and became a great and highly accom- plished patriot. Time in service changed, matured and, most importantly, provided Abe with the values he currently has and the deep love he has for his country.” Mayes, Hamadeh’s opponent in the November election, criticized his record. “Abraham Hamadeh has a track record of dishonesty and deceit,” Mayes told New Times. “We see it in his interviews, his daily tweets and his public appearances. The Attorney General’s Office requires honesty and integrity at its core, which Mr. Hamadeh does not possess.” Antisemitism, Sexism and ‘Dumb People’ Hamadeh was born and raised in Chicago by parents from Syria and Lebanon. In 1994, a grand jury in Illinois indicted his father, jeweler Jamal Hamadah, on charges of conspiracy to commit arson after the Mikro Kodesh Anshe Tiktin syna- gogue was fire-bombed, according to the Chicago Reader. When he was arrested, Hamadah admitted to being in the U.S. ille- gally after overstaying a visitor’s visa. The charges were dropped after the two men who set the fire failed to cooperate with prosecutors and testify against Hamadah. At a later deportation hearing, the judge allowed him to stay stateside because his son, Abe, is a U.S. citizen. In 2008, Abe Hamadeh advocated for cutting U.S. funding to Israel and indicated fervent opposition to Israel as a state in several of his posts on the Ron Paul Forum. “If you think Jews arent big in america (2%) how come 56% of them are CEO’S … Jews are influential and for the most part rich. its good were targetting Arabs now, next will target Jews,” he posted in July 2007. Kris Mayes, the Democratic nominee for Arizona Attorney General, criticized opponent Abe Hamadeh for a “record of dishonesty and deceit.” These days, Hamadeh vows to use the power of the attorney general’s office to uphold Arizona’s draconian abortion bans. In December 2007, Hamadeh venerated a commenter on the Ron Paul Forum who was met with downturned thumbs during a protest outside an abor- tion clinic in Orlando, Florida. “Women always thumb down, they all complain about there right to choose to have an abortion,” he wrote in the post. In 2009, in response to a post in which the author indicated that conservative commentator Ann Coulter had endorsed Ron Paul’s presidential bid, Hamadeh wrote, “She is a BITCH, I don’t give a $#@! if she votes for Ron Paul, but she better not be speaking at any, ANY rallies.” Later that year, he defended former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of criminal contempt in federal court in 2017 and cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars settling lawsuits stemming from decades of egregious human and civil rights violations. “Sheriff Joe Arpaio is probably one of the most honest people to have served this State,” Hamadeh wrote. He added that “people are to dumb to make decissions on there own, they need the government to help guide them.” Now, he’s gunning to become that guiding light. Hamadeh’s campaign said the posts don’t reflect his present-day views. “Comments allegedly posted during his teenage years do not represent his current values and views,” Knight said. “I encourage the opposition to stop wasting time picking apart the actions of children and focusing on nonsense and start taking action to make sure the American dream still exists for the next generation.” 9 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES SEPT 1ST–SEPT 7TH, 2022
