PHOENIX — A Republican-led committee of state lawmakers is accusing Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes of "impeachable offenses."
In a 102-page report released Wednesday, the House Ad Hoc Committee on Executive Oversight concluded Mayes had been "abusing" her power since the Democrat was narrowly elected to office in 2022.
The allegations made by the committee include the following:
- Mayes threatened the Mohave County Board of Supervisors with possible legal action if the board voted to tabulate ballots by hand.
- Mayes neglected her duties of office by failing to defend a state law that prohibited transgender athletes from playing on sports teams that align with their identity.
- Mayes misused public resources to advocate for a potential ballot measure concerning water issues.
The committee calls for impeaching Mayes in the Arizona House and holding a trial in the Arizona Senate. An impeachment conviction would require a two-thirds majority vote and the current party split in the Senate is 16-14 with Republicans holding a slim majority.
The committee additionally recommends withdrawing budget allocations to the AG's office.
"The Legislature could reduce the Attorney General’s budget to defund units not authorized by the Legislature, such as the Reproductive Rights Unit," the committee's report states.
The committee consisted of five Republicans and three Democrats. However, the Democrats did not participate in the committee's work.
In a statement to 12News, the AG's office called the committee's report a "partisan stunt" based in nothing more than political disagreements.
"The Attorney General has spent the first year and a half of her term in office fighting the fentanyl crisis, prosecuting elder abuse cases, protecting Arizonans from consumer fraud, standing up for reproductive rights, and working to safeguard our environment and groundwater supplies. She will continue to do this important work for the people of Arizona and will not be deterred by attacks from radical Republicans in the Legislature."
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