Arizona attorney general declines to charge Gov. Katie Hobbs over pay-to-play allegations
- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said state prosecutors will not file criminal charges against Gov. Katie Hobbs over allegations tied to a rate increase for Sunshine Residential Homes after political donations to her inauguration fund and the state Democratic Party.
- Mayes said investigators found no evidence of the quid pro quo needed to support a bribery charge.
- The investigation concluded that Sunshine’s rate increase was driven by its leverage as a major provider of beds for children in foster care, not by political pressure.
- A separate investigation by Republican Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell and the state auditor general is still ongoing.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said Friday that state prosecutors will not bring criminal charges against Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in a case centered on allegations that a private group home operator received favorable treatment after making political contributions. Mayes said the evidence did not show the kind of quid pro quo needed for a bribery case.,The controversy stems from Sunshine Residential Homes, which contributed to Hobbs-related political efforts and later received a 30% payment increase from the state. Hobbs has denied wrongdoing and said she was not involved in the decision to approve the increase.,Mayes said her investigators concluded the increase resulted from Sunshine’s position as the largest provider of beds for children in foster care, not from political pressure. She also said the case points to a need for legislative changes to improve transparency around donations from state contractors.,A separate investigation by Republican Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell and the state auditor general remains open. Hobbs’ office said the attorney general’s report confirmed that the governor was not involved in directing the rate increases.
亚利桑那州总检察长拒绝就“权钱交易”指控起诉州长霍布斯
亚利桑那州总检察长克里斯·梅耶斯周五表示，州检方不会就民主党州长凯蒂·霍布斯相关的指控提起刑事诉讼。相关指控称，一家私人团体之家运营商在向政治活动捐款后获得了州政府的优惠待遇。梅耶斯说，现有证据不足以构成受贿案所需的“权钱交易”。,争议围绕 Sunshine Residential Homes 展开。该公司曾向与霍布斯有关的政治筹款活动出资，随后又从州政府获得了 30% 的支付上调。霍布斯否认存在不当行为，并表示自己没有参与批准上调的决定。,梅耶斯说，调查人员认定，这次上调是由于 Sunshine 作为寄养儿童床位最大供应商所具有的议价能力，而不是政治压力。她还表示，这一案件说明州政府需要在承包商政治捐款透明度方面进行立法改革。,由共和党籍马里科帕县检察官 Rachel Mitchell 和州审计长进行的另一项调查仍在继续。霍布斯办公室表示，总检察长的报告已经证实，州长没有参与、也没有指示她的团队批准这些费率上调。