Controversy Surrounds Arizona Green Party Candidates Ahead of Election
The Arizona Green Party is embroiled in a contentious debate, urging Secretary of State Adrian Fontes to disqualify two candidates from the upcoming November ballot. Despite these demands, Fontes’ office has stated it lacks the authority to take such action.
Concerns have been raised by state Green Party leaders regarding gubernatorial candidate Risa Lombardo and secretary of state candidate Duwayne Collier. They allege that neither candidate truly represents their political ideology, suggesting that both could be backed by Republicans to disrupt the Green Party’s influence.
Accusations have also surfaced that Lombardo and Collier’s campaigns may have falsified records to secure substantial funding from the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission. This state body provides financial backing to candidates who avoid large contributions from political action committees and corporations.
Last week, the commission agreed to further investigate these claims, potentially requiring the candidates to reimburse the funds if the allegations are substantiated.
The Arizona Green Party is pressing for more decisive action, having sent a letter to Secretary Fontes requesting the removal of Lombardo and Collier from the ballot. They propose replacing them with write-in candidates Carlos Melendez and Jon Ralston, who were endorsed by the party but did not win in the primary election.
“What the investigative reports did is verify what we were aware of all along about there being sham imposter candidates from outside the party hijacking our ballot line,” stated Mike Cease, an Arizona Green Party candidate.
Investigations by the Arizona Mirror highlighted connections between Lombardo and Collier and Republican politics. This includes the transfer of millions in public campaign funds to a Nevada firm with links to GOP operatives.
Additionally, KJZZ reported Collier’s involvement in gathering signatures for Republican Corporation Commission candidate Ralph Heap, who faces separate accusations with the Clean Elections Commission. All three candidates share legal representation by Timothy La Sota, a Republican election attorney.
The Green Party references a state law permitting the Commission to penalize candidates who breach Clean Elections rules, including potential disqualification or office forfeiture.
However, the Secretary of State’s Office clarified its inability to independently remove candidates from the ballot. “This action would require an actual court order or voluntary withdrawal by candidates,” explained Calli Jones, a spokesperson for the secretary of state. “The party does not get to remove its nominees unilaterally.”
Neither Lombardo nor Collier has commented on the accusations questioning their legitimacy as Green Party members. They have, however, promoted themselves as viable alternatives to the dominant party candidates on social media. “Remember … you are NOT required to choose the lesser of two evils,” Lombardo stated. “Your vote belongs to YOU, not to a political party.”
Cease emphasized the urgency of their request, given the proximity of the election and the preparation of ballots by county election officials. “Ballots are currently being proofed in all 15 county jurisdictions right now for the general election,” Cease noted. “So these two things are both very time sensitive.”
Despite the Green Party’s insistence, the law they cited empowers the Clean Elections Commission to potentially disqualify candidates. “We cannot comment on the (Clean Elections) process; however, guidance to the counties remains the same as they move forward with ballot printing at this time,” Jones added.
Meanwhile, the Clean Elections Commission continues its probe into whether Lombardo and Collier’s campaigns manipulated $5 contributions to access Clean Elections funding.
Risa Lombardo has received $2.8 million from Clean Elections funds, while Duwayne Collier’s campaign has acquired nearly $740,000. Their attorney, La Sota, denied any wrongdoing. “So the campaign, the candidates did nothing wrong. We’re not giving the money back,” he asserted.
According to Clean Elections Executive Director Thomas Collins, the ongoing investigation focuses on whether the candidates legitimately qualified for the public funds. “This is not a request that the commission impose a penalty because it believes fraud occurred,” Collins explained. “This is a narrower question. The question is: Under the rules, were these candidates entitled to the public funds they received?”
Currently, no formal complaint has been lodged with the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission to initiate the comprehensive investigation that could lead to the candidates’ removal, Collins confirmed.
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