1-26-23 Briefs

Jan 262023
 

Three Pima LD19 Committeemen – Dr John Emery, Jeanne Hughes and Judy Alkire have written to the AZGOP Executive Committee requesting the EC rescind the removal of Pima LD19 State Committeemen (SC) Emery, Alkire, Hughes and Cindy Coleman in time for them to be provided with the call letter, proposed resolutions, nominating report, etc and seated at the AZGOP Jan 28 Statutory meeting.
The letter from Emery, Hugh and Alkire charge:

  • Removing elected state committeemen is not Election Integrity.
  • On November 17, 2022, AZ PIMA LD19 met to elect their new Executive Committee and State Committeemen.
  • On November 18, 2022, Pima LD19 Chair Darren Venters and incoming Chair Eileen Wilson submitted the list approved by the Pima County Chair Shelley Kais, then submitted to Chairwoman Kelli Ward and Executive Director Pam Kirby on December 18, 2022
  • AZ PIMA LD19 is the recognized legislative district by AZGOP, per Ward’s letter dated October 1, 2022 (see video statement https:www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jNGFdk6H1g in April of 2022, and at Coffee with Kelli upon questioning by Pam Anderson, plus numerous conversations with Kais.
  • AZ PIMA LD19 followed AZGOP and Chairwoman Ward’s guidelines for their Mandatory Statuary meeting
  • The newly elected StateCommitteemen were vetted by both PCRP and AZGOP.
  • Kais worked with Kirby to clarify names on the list Kais had submitted to the AZGOP on January 3, 2023

Until January 23rd, the above listed individuals believed they were State, but became concerned when they had not received their informational packets from AZGOP. They reached out to former Pima County Chairwoman Kais. After numerous phone calls, texts and emails it was discovered that these Pima LD19 elected State Committeemen had been removed and replaced by 3 PCs not elected at the AZ Pima LD19 Nov 17 meeting. The reason ultimately given for removal was that the new Pima County Chair Dave Smith submitted a new list following his election on January 7, 2023. The state committeemen list he submitted did not come from the recognized AZ Pim”. The PCs report they “followed Ward’s instructions, were assured they were the legitimate SCs, only to find out they have been deceived.” They question why they were approved only to be unapproved several days before the state meeting, noting, this doesn’t look good for the AZGOP leadership.JAN 28 – REPUBLICAN PARTY OF ARIZONA (RPAZ aka AZGOP) MANDATORY MEETING: Registration begins at 8 am for Maricopa County and 8:30 am for all other counties. Meeting starts at 10am. More infor : https://azgop.com/2023-rpaz-statutory-meeting

Tom Horne, Supt of Education, reports that he is the I am the “star of a fundraising letter, put out by the Pima county Democratic Party, referring to him the Grim Reaper, and ask people to make contributions to save the schools from Tom Horne.”

SHELBY BUSCH, MCRC 1st Vice Chair: To All Maricopa County PCs:,Our most recent MCRC Statutory Meeting has left a vacancy on the Executive Board for a Member at Large. Per the MCRC Bylaws, an election must be held at the next scheduled EGC Meeting. Our Next EGC Meeting is currently scheduled for February 7th, and we will be holding an election to fill this vacancy. Qualification:  Elected PC in Maricopa County
All PCs are eligible to apply, but since there have not yet been any appointments, only Elected PCs are currently eligible. If anyone is interested in running for this position (Member-at-Large), please submit:
1. Full Name
2. Current LD
3. Profile Picture
4. 200 Word Biography

Submissions should be sent to Shelby Busch at: shelby.b@unitedlibertycoalition.com
Deadline:  February 3rd, 2023, at Noon.
Nominations will be accepted from the floor, however, your submission by the deadline will have your name printed on the ballot and an opportunity for the voting members to learn about you prior to voting.

Vietnam Plus 50: Historic date. Friday, January 27, 2023, marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War in which more than 55,000 American servicemen lost their lives. While the highly controversial war officially ended 50 years ago, Americans maintained a presence in Saigon until 1975. The end of the war and American withdrawal from southeast Asia were negotiated at the Paris Peace Accords. Terry Babb

James Knox and Carrie Silver are hosting a ‘Take Back Our Elections’ Zoom meeting at 6:30 pm., Wed., Feb 1. They expect all participants to have their real names displayed. Anyone connecting via audio phone call will not be permitted in, so use the zoon app if needed. If your displayed name is not your own or is fake, they will disconnect you. See:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84108068305?pwd=UXZqR3BvOFlXc25SMEZDZHJpNUl0QT09
Meeting ID: 841 0806 8305. Passcode: 994571.

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84108068305?pwd=UXZqR3BvOFlXc25SMEZDZHJpNUl0QT09
Meeting ID: 841 0806 8305 Passcode: 994571.

Constitution Tues meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at Lydia’s La Canasta, 2023 W Wickenburg Way, AZ.  Meeting starts at 6:30, kitchen closes at 6pm so get there early for food. The next meeting is Feb 7, featuring Maricopa County Sheriff candidate Jerry Sheridan,

Leadership Institute Commincation Workshop for Pro-Life Candidates will be held between 4:30-7:30 pm. Free. Contact: Dena Espenscheid, dena@leadershipinstitute.org Or https://leadershipinstitute.org/training/school.cfm?schoolID=59798

READER VETTING QUESTIONS FOR AZGOP CANDIDATES
Response requested by 8 pm., Thurs., June 26 to stuff@republicanbriefs.org or repcomm@republicanbriefs.org

  • 1 – Does Steve Daniels, AZGOP Chairman candidate, have ties to the Patriot PAC, financially or politically. Is he mentored by Jim O’Connor, Dan McCarthy or Brian Ference?
  • 2 – Is Vera Geban, AZGOP Chairman candidate, mentored by Brian Ference or Jim O’Connor?

CANDIDATE ANSWERS VETTING QUESTIONS

SHEILA MUEHLING, RPAZ (aka AZGOP) Chair candidate: Have you ever been allowed access to the LLD papers connected to selling of the headquarters at 24th/Thomas?

  • Answer: The only paperwork I was given was the closing statement from Stewart Title & Trust in Phoenix and the warranty deed. I received these documents from the title company along with the check for $790,882.61, that was deposited in the Wells Fargo Bank where it remains today. As for the LLC, the EXCOMM at the spring meeting in Scottsdale, reviewed the changes to the Bylaws renaming the Bylaws to the Operating Agreement. I received the same thing all the other EXCOMM members received.

SHEILA MUEHLING, RPAZ (aka AZGOP) Chair candidate: As RPAZ Treasurer, what was your role in the exorbitant and wasteful spending of party funds for the bus tour and election night watch party?

  • Answer: I received my first request for a deposit of $35,000 to the Scottsdale Resort on October 14th. I was told it was for the watch party on November 8th. That has been historically the approximate amount that was spent by previous Chairman for the watch party and since it was only three weeks to the election, I had no reason to believe that this was not the full payment for rental of the ballroom. Shortly after that I began getting multiple requests for wire transfers to various vendors for the party and for the bus tour. I expressed concern privately to Kelli Ward and Kim Kirby telling them I was watching the bank account drop and I was concerned. I was told that “we are watching the bank account too”. No answer as to what was going on. When I objected to paying an invoice, it was taken to the Board and the answer was always, if we signed a contract, we must pay it. By the time it was over RPAZ paid $177,945 for the resort use. During the entire planning of these events, Ward and Kirby insisted that the Keri Lake campaign as well as other candidates were paying for them. That was not true because our account dropped from $1.1 million dollars to $150,000 overnight. When I refused to pay for hair and makeup for the Wards and Kirby I was again overruled and told I had to pay the bill. Every single person on that board will tell you that despite what Kelli Ward and Pam Kirby say, we were not advised or asked about the party or the bus tour. The sole responsibility for those two events rests on the shoulders of Kelli Ward and Pam Kirby. I have screen shots of all the conversations since October regarding my objection to the spending. I think it is also important to know that Kirby requested a wire of $8,685.00 for the services of a caterer for what was called a Reagan Circle Christmas party. It was a private party at her home and most of the board members were not invited. I received reports back that there were maybe a dozen people in attendance who were Reagan Circle members, and the rest were a few county chairs and a large presence of Keri Lake’s youth canvassing team.

AZGOP CANDIDATE COMMENTARY

JEFF DEWIT, AZGOP Chairman candidate: I humbly ask for your vote for Chairman this Saturday at the AZ GOP Statutory meeting. I was your State Treasurer of Arizona, the COO & CFO of the 2016 Trump campaign and the COO of the 2020 Trump campaign, the CFO of NASA, and a longtime successful business CEO.  My track record is solid. On the 2020 Trump campaign I oversaw a ground game that knocked on over a million doors a week, and in combining both campaigns I have overseen over $1 billion in campaign fundraising. I want to bring this expertise to Arizona to give us a fundraising, ground game, candidate recruitment, media training, and organizational leadership advantage over the Democrats. The Democrats have already said they are aiming to flip our state legislature blue in 2024, and they only need two seats in the State House and State Senate to do it! This is such an important topic that I implore you to focus on! The Dems are publicly saying that their top goal is to give Katie Hobbs a Democrat majority in the State Legislature so that she can implement her entire agenda. They will drastically raise income taxes, rip out school choice, and enact far-reaching gun laws, among other agenda items which will destroy our economy and the state as we love and know it. We must not let this happen and it will not with proven, successful leadership at the helm of our party.  We cannot take any chances, please vote for the only one who has led successful campaigns.  I will expand our Republican lead in the State Legislature, flip Sinema’s Senate seat red, and deliver Arizona for our Presidential nominee. I will fight hard for election integrity, drastically improve fundraising, overhaul our ground game, bring transparency and trust, recruit good candidates and help them to be great candidates, stay neutral in all primaries, and I will put the Democrats on defense once and for all! Please view my website for more about my plan to get us back to winning: www.jeffdewit.com.

MICHAL ANN JOYNER, AZGOP Secretary candidate: I’m asking for your vote for Secretary. I am a Native Arizonian, and grew up in Yuma, Arizona. If you own a business or oversee hiring, the first thing you review prior to hiring is the Resume. That will reveal whether the person is qualified to perform the job. I have spent the last 2 years as 2nd vice chair for Maricopa County Republicans. I was privileged to be the liaison for Club outreach, served as the data chairman, and was the Resolution Chairman. I served as a GOP Member-at-large which allowed me to work all over the state. I’m also very proud that I was responsible for organizing two trainings for Maricopa County that resulted in 52 new Deputy Registrars being created. This race SHOULD be about the resume. Here’s my RESUME: As Data Chairman my team trained over 380 precinct committeemen for the use of GOP Datacenter. While this was helpful in the get out the vote, it revealed a huge need for better, more accurate and easier to use software. This will be a primary goal of mine. BETTER SOFTWARE FOR US TO USE. In addition, the after-election numbers showed that only 39% of Independents returned their ballots. This means they left 61% of the ballots on their kitchen table. I will campaign for a GOTV and ballot chasing project for Independents. My other civic involvements include previously serving on the Chandler Planning and Zoning Commission for 8 years of which I was Chair for many of those years. I presently serve on the Scottsdale Development Review Board where we review and guide the design of all commercial development. We’re electing a new Chairman, and I commit to diligently working to promote his/her platform. My deep grassroots experience as an LD Leader, active PC Captain, and State Member at Large will provide a wealth of insight to implementing our new winning strategy. I’m ready to work for you! I’m Michal Joyner, and I’m asking for your vote.

SHEILA K. MUEHLING, Republican Party of Arizona (aka AZGOP) Chairman Candidate: Many do not understand that the Republican Party of Arizona’s primary job is to win elections – get our candidates across the finish line. Should we be in the fight for election integrity? Absolutely. But if we allow election integrity to consume us and we take our eyes off the 2024 election we will again finish last in the race. As the leader of this party, it will be my job to provide precinct committeemen, party leaders and activists the tools necessary to reach the victory goal. That means raising money and using that money in a responsible way. In 2022, a great deal of money was wasted. Contracts for direct mail pieces and digital products were awarded to insiders without competitive bidding. Ridiculous money was spent on a candidate bus tour and an election night watch party. These are examples of money not being spent responsibly. Wasted money totaling more than $600,000 that should have gone to a get-out-the-vote initiative and to help Republican candidates and county organizations across the state. While Democrats worked harder and smarter to sweep statewide races, we planned a party. Yes, we have election fraud. However, incompetence coupled with self-serving decisions made by inside players added fuel to our defeat in 2022. As Chairman, I will raise more than $1.5 million by August 1. I will always be transparent. I will make decisions only after I have included and listened to you. I will protect your financial investment in our party and guard our party’s reputation. I am well prepared to be the Chairman of the Republican Party of Arizona. I am the only candidate who does not need training wheels to start on the job. I will roll up my sleeves and get the job done. Please vote for Sheila Muehling for State Chairman on January 28. See https://sheila4az.com.

JEFF DEWIT, AZGOP Chairman candidate: Here is my 7-point plan:

  1. Election integrity. Every effort will be made to fight for honest and fair elections, and legislative fixes for the countless chain-of-custody, signature verification, and other issues we have seen. Everyone reading Kari Lake’s lawsuits is in shock and disgust. We will work diligently on this issue. Days after the 2020 election I was embedded with the Trump legal team in Arizona curing ballots and crafting legal challenges. No candidate is more prepared to fight for election integrity than I am.
  2. Drastically improve fundraising. We need to give our candidates and PCs the resources we need to win. With the 2016 & 2020 elections combined; I oversaw a digital fundraising operation that raised over $1 billion for the Trump campaign. I will utilize that experience to implement a digital and large dollar operation that can forever be a huge boost for future party chairs.
  3. Overhaul our ground game. The Dems are knocking on tens of thousands more doors than we are, “chasing” in all the early ballots. If each of our over 5,000 PCs even only brought in 10 voters that otherwise did not vote, that is over 50,000. Imagine that combined with a well-funded, well-oiled ground game as well. If you Google the term “Trump million doors a week” you will see the operation I oversaw as COO. In addition, we need to massively increase the amount of new Republican voters by implementing a robust voter registration operation throughout the state, and we need to start that IMMEDIATELY in 2023. We will make Arizona a model for every state GOP as to how to do all this effectively.
  4. Bring transparency and trust. I am the only candidate who has a proven and successful track record in this regard. I did it as your State Treasurer, I did it as CFO of NASA, and I will do it as your next AZGOP Chairman.
  5. Recruit good candidates and help them to be great candidates. Too often we sit back and wait for good people to decide to run, then hope they know how. I will engage our LDs to search for good candidates and get them running right away. We will help with fundraising, signature gathering, media training – every tool a Conservative candidate needs to win.
  6. Let Republican voters decide. I will stay neutral in all primaries, treat each candidate equally and fairly, and utilize every resource at our disposal to help our Republican primary winners go on to win the general election.
  7. I will put the Democrats on defense! They’ve been on offense too long. We have gone from my election in 2014 when Republicans won every statewide office, to the 2022 cycle with more Dem statewide office holders since the 1950s. We will no longer sit back and play defense while they take our seats. We will use the infrastructure provided by points 1 through 6 above to put so many Dem seats at risk and stretch their resources so thin that the red wave can’t be stopped or stolen. Playing offense and putting the Dems on defense is how we win. I will not let you down. I humbly ask for your vote and a chance to work for you as your state chair.

CHERYL CASWELL, LD6 AZGOP Member-at-Large candidate:  I am an elected Precinct Committeemen, an elected State Committeemen, and your 2020 Republican Party of Arizona “Rookie of the Year”. I have built great relationships within our community of Southern Arizona and beyond. I serve as the current elected Legislative District #19 Republican Committee Chairman. I consider myself an ambassador of our Republican brand and I have collaborated with many of you the Committeemen – whom I consider the most valuable players on our team. Congratulate on your election as a State Committeemen.   The duties of a Member-at-Large is to support the strength of our state party by encouraging, educating, and empowering our grassroots teammates to create connectivity from County-Legislative-Congressional levels to the State Party leadership.   My experience is well aligned to accomplish these tasks together with you. I served as the 2020-2022 3rd Vice Chairman of the Pima County Republican Party, which duties include voter registration and volunteer coordination. I developed the Pima County voter registration brand “The Great American Block Party” that was presented to the State Party Executive Committee in 2021 to engage PC’s during COVID mitigation. The Great American Block Party was additionally adopted and implemented by the Maricopa County Republican Committee for 2022 voter registration efforts. I am grateful to serve my community with many years of election experience as the District 4 Pima County Supervisor Steve Christy appointment to the Pima County Election Integrity Commission January 24, 2023. Many election issues are forefront in the minds of voters, and I understand we need a commonsense approach to dealing with tough issues that support election integrity.  As a Real Property Real Estate Appraiser, I understand and support private property and water rights, and support rural and agricultural communities of interest. Working with youth is a rewarding experience and important to raise our future leaders, with my three college-aged children as youth mentors. I enjoy volunteering as a Pima County 4H youth livestock project leader and certified volunteer.  cherylcaswell@msn.com

READERS SPEAK OUT
REMINDER: READER/WRITER OPINIONS ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE BRIEFS. Opinions expressed by readers are not Briefs statements. Word Limit is 300. No more two and three part commentaries. EXCESS VERBIAGE IS SUBJECT TO EDITING. Briefs will post candidate/campaign announcements. – ft

DEBBY TRUDEAU, LD3 PC: The surname “Trudeau” is ranked 4,297th in the US, with an estimated 7,461 people having that last name.  In Canada, the surname is ranked 563rd, with 8,730 people using that last name.  I am married into one of the many Trudeau families residing in the US.  My husband, who is a Trudeau by birthright, finds it hilarious that someone would spend time, effort and money on a text messaging service to disparage me as related to Canada’s one and only, Justin Trudeau.  I support LD3 Chair, Candace Czarny.

SHEILA K MUEHLING I am posting this as your current RPAZ State Treasurer; not as a candidate for the Chairman of RPAZ. When I was elected in 2021, I promised to all of State Committeemen that I would be transparent and show the books to anyone wanting to see a financial statement. I said that I would willingly share RPAZ financial information. During the current campaign for the Statutory Officers for 2023/24, I have had many people tell me that RPAZ Executive Director Pam Kirby, told several groups of State Committeemen that I approved ridiculous spending, then complained about it after an expense was spent. As every one of the RPAZ Executive Board will attest, Kirby’s statement is not truthful. Let’s look at expenditures accrued the days before the last election and the watch party the night of the election. RPAZ Chairman Kelli Ward and Kirby signed contracts engaging the resort space, tour bus, the graphic wrap for the bus, AV equipment rental, production for both events and guest room space just to name a few. The list of expenditures continues and totals more than $530,000. I certainly objected to their squandering and was told “you aren’t the keeper of the charges,” and “don’t mention it again.” Some Executive Board members objected to the expenses but backed away to avoid Kirby’s retribution. Kirby has also used the Party’s credit card to pay for dinners and programs that were not included in the budget. When I inquired about the charges, Kirby’s reply was typically “it is not my business.” RPAZ staff members who report to Kirby are silent about her foibles and financial indiscretions for fear of her wrath. Electing Kirby to serve as RPAZ Treasurer would be devastating to the party over this next two years.

JAMES KNOX: I completely agree with Steve Daniels that a hand count is needed.

JIM EHL, AZ Town Crier: It’s faster horses, younger women, older whiskey, and MORE MONEY! Sheila K. Muehling: AZGOP Chairman candidate – “Many do not understand that the Republican Party of Arizona’s primary job is to win elections.”  Does that to elect the candidates the chair favors, how about the voters?  She said,” means raising money and using that money in a responsible way. In 2022, a great deal of money was wasted..” She noted, “As Chairman, I will raise more than $1.5 million by August 1” As I recall as a state committeemen, we didn’t elect a state chair to raise more money.  The AZGOP bylaws clearly states the procedure for that. My reasoning may be screwy, but the way I understand political elections the candidate that received the most votes gets the job. In Arizona there are millions of REGISTERED VOTERS   For the highest political office In the land, POTUS. Biden got the most votes and the job.  Now we see heap big smoke but no fire. What influences voters how to cast their votes?  Gender?  Race?  Religion? Road signs?  Mail?  Speeches?  Color of eyes, hair, smile? Acquaints?  Referrals?  Party? Facts?  etc. Political parties were created to represent the voters. In the over 20 years as registered voter/PC, I don’t recall a competent AZGOP.  As Muehling pointed out how much money is wasted by the AZGOP?  The AZGOP lets the voters do their own ‘guesswork’ as to whom to vote for in the primary. Organization and bylaws.  Any idea as to why they were created?  We have only a fraction of PC authorized, and chairs that don’t know the meaning of leadership, (a collective statement based on overall facts, {purple state} individual are unknown).  If the chairs would all meet in formal session and hammer out a workable recruit/train PCs and a workable state wide GOTV by educating the lowly voter, maybe the voter could win more elections.  Over half of the counties have new chairs.  Hopefully we will begin to see some unity.  Hopefully we will get a strong state chair.

Editor’s Note: Jim, regardless of who becomes Chair, the party must raise funds to help Republican candidates, instead of wasting it. DC sources are well aware that Trump chewed Ward for withholding campaign funds from Republican candidates. – ft

BASIL FERNIMOS: I have a group in Anthem called The North Valley Constitutional Americans. We normally meet the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month. My mission is to expose as many people as possible to the process, hoping they will engage and become part of the solution. The solution being a Republican form of government. Contact Fernimos at 9171787wethepeople@gmail.com

CHRISTINE BAUSERMAN: Jeff DeWit for AZ GOP Chair. Hands down. I know DeWit to be an upstanding honorable man in business and politics. I spent just under 3 years in the Trump Administration in D.C. and Jeff DeWit is one of a handful of men I saw maintain integrity and honor. He has never been in it for the money and has actually taken monetary hits to serve us (being an appointee is a service). I have also been a political operative for 13 years now and it is a very small list of people who do not sell us out. DeWit never sold us out and was always in it to win. We need an AZGOP Chair to be all about WINNING and who understands the job. Vote for DeWit on Saturday.MICHELLE DILLARD: As AZGOP State Chair, Steve Daniels will restore power to the PCs, elevate their voices and increase engagement. He understands the frustrations experienced by the boots on the ground because HE IS the boots on the ground. He has experienced them firsthand. Steve values PCs. He doesn’t only have empty words in a stump speech to offer. While other candidates might say that they believe that election integrity is a priority, Daniels has actually prioritized it. In order to fight for election integrity full-time, he left a six figure income behind, took a 50% pay cut, and went to work on it. He co-authored One Day • One Vote, and had that bill not been blocked in the legislature last session, there wouldn’t be a commie occupying the 9th Floor today. As an education activist, his efforts are well documented, but what most people don’t know is the stand that he took on behalf of all parents in Arizona. Steve was arrested outside of a school board meeting, which is a first amendment protected limited public forum. He was jailed overnight and endured a legal battle that persisted for a year for a simple trespass citation. He didn’t take the easy way out by simply paying a fine or making a deal because it would set a precedent that would allow school districts and law enforcement to collude against others and violate the First Amendment Rights of parents to silence them. $20,000 in legal fees and almost a year later, the city finally gave up and declined to prosecute. Daniels has demonstrated that he will stand on principle and fight for all Arizonans. You can review his accomplishments at ElectSteveDaniels.com. Vote for change on Saturday, 1/28/23. Vote for Steve Daniels for State Chair.

FRANCINE ROMESBURG, Facilitator of Grassroots Tea Party Activists of Arizona: The comments by Christine Bauserman re; Jeff DeWit are right on the money!  He is by far the most qualified candidate running to head our GOP with the honesty and right leadership it needs to bring the GOP back to roots where they belong.  Believe Robert Canterbury is also on the right track with his views on who we need to lead the GOP in the right direction. We have known DeWit for many years even before he ran for State Treasurer of Arizona.  He was the best and most honest Treasurer Arizona ever had.  I like Sheila Meuling, a great gal but no leadership qualities.  If you all think that making phones and answering emails makes one a leader, no wonder the GOP is in the disasterous state it’s in.  DeWit knows what leadership is and how to run a tight ship.  He knows how to put the right team together that will work together to get things done.  On the 2020 campaign he knocked on over a million doors, knows how to fundraise, candidate recruitment, media train, and organizational leadership advantage over the Democrats. DeWit was State Treasurer and kept it honest.  He was on Trumps leadership /CEO of his 2016 campaign.  He was appointed to CEO of NASA and ran that with integrity and honesty.  He left to run Trumps 2020 election.  DeWit knows what leadership is and how to run a tight ship while keeping it honest.  He knows people and how to treat them with respect.  You think DeWit sits around all day eating bonbons?  He’s a very busy man, has a wife and kids. DeWit is running because we can’t have a 2024 election cycle where we lose our state legislature. We must have proven, successful leadership in our party right now. We can’t take any chances in this state chair election. If done right, we will expand our Republican lead in the state legislature, flip Sinema’s Senate seat red, and deliver Arizona for our Presidential nominee. I will raise money, register voters, and get out the vote to lead our state party to a successful 2024 election.

AJ LAFARO: Transparency International, in its 2021 report on worldwide corruption, ranked Ukraine 122 out of 180 countries, with 180 representing the most corrupt. Russia ranked 136. https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021

TOM MORRISSEY, past AZGOP chair: Frosty, thanks for all you continue to do and have done.

JACK PODPLESKY to Brian Reilly, The main reason I don’t like Kari Lake is every word that comes out of her mouth comes from someone else first (mostly Trump) aka a Myna bird or a parrot (bird brain). Remember actions speak louder than words. I have yet to hear any words coming from her own thoughts. She might as you say “have fire in her belly) but not an original thought. Does she actually understand what the words mean since she was not the originator of said verbiage. According to the Bible honesty, forgiveness, fairness are among important character traits. Where were these traits when she sided with Kelli Ward and allowed and agreed to her deceitful tactics to sway the primary in her direction. To me that shows complete and total self agenda for a position that she has zero qualifications for. Yes, something needs to be done with the election integrity issues, but it needs to be for the people of Arizona not for a childish unqualified candidate who participated in fraud with Kelli Ward against the other candidates prior to the primary to get her way.

CONGRESSIONAL UPDATES
Anything longer than Briefs 300 word limit is subject to editing/shortening. – ft

Congresswoman Debbie Lesko’s statement on her appointment to the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic: “I am honored to be selected by Speaker Kevin McCarthy to serve on the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic,” said Congresswoman Lesko. “Three years ago, COVID-19 was unleashed on the world. As a result, federal, state, and local governments in the U.S. imposed harsh lockdowns that shuttered Americans’ livelihoods, set children back in school, and infringed on our civil liberties. I am looking forward to working with my colleagues to investigate the origins of COVID-19 and the federal government’s response to deliver the answers and accountability the American people deserve” The House Oversight Committee’s Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic will have the power to investigate and provide legislative recommendations on a wide range of issues including the origins of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Federal government’s funding of gain-of-function research, the relief programs and regulations used to address the pandemic, the implementation of vaccine mandates for federal employees and the military, the economic impact of the pandemic, the impact of school closures, and the Executive Branch’s pandemic-related decisions.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

January 2023 Calendar

JAN 26 – PIMA COUNTY REPUBLICAN WOMEN’S CLUB, 11:30am, Lunch a Coffee X-Change, 6841 E. Camino Principal, Tucson  Speaker:  Darla Gonzalez, Arizona Free Enterprise Club, introducing the AZ legislative priorities and how to get your voice heard thru RTS.  Seating is limited. RSVP: Sarah Ramsey, coachsarah@aol.com.

JAN 27 – BLESSING BREAKFAST FOR FIRST RESPONDERS & ELECTED OFFICIALS at 8 am., at El Conquistador Resort, 10000 N. Oracle. Contact Paul Parisi at paul@4tucson.com  call 520-869-1679.

JAN 28 – REPUBLICAN PARTY OF ARIZONA (RPAZ aka AZGOP) MANDATORY MEETING.
Registration begins at 8 am for Maricopa County and 8:30 am for all other counties. Meeting starts at 10am.
More info : https://azgop.com/2023-rpaz-statutory-meeting

JAN 31 – PIMA COUNTY REPUBLICAN CLUB hosts Retired Member CAP water board  member Pat Jacobs  11:30 am.,at the Kettle Restaurant  748 W Star Pass Blvd in Tucson..

February 2023 Calendar

Feb 4 – The Sun City West Republican Club: 9 am. at Church on the Green, 19051 R.H. Johnson Blvd (behind Walgreens). Social time is at 8:30 AM with coffee and pastry available. A $3 donation for the room rental. Speakers-AZ Corp Commissioner Jim O’Connor and his wife Sheryl. All Republicans and Independents from the Sun Cities and surrounding areas are welcome. www.scwrepublicans.com

FEB 6 – LONDON BRIDGE REPUBLICAN DINNER – 6 pm at Shugrues Bridgeview Room. 5pm Checkin. $25 cash/check at door. Speaker –Dan Delasantos, head of Kids on the River, a 7th grade youth program to educate on the machinations of the Colorado River. RSVP required by noon., Fri., Feb 3 to Pam Ford @ 928-486-4033.

FEB 6 – LINCOLN REPUBLICAN WOMEN: 5:30 pm., at Maggiao’s Little Italy, 16405 N Scottsdale Road in Scottdale. 6 pm – dinner. 6:40 pm panel discussion. $52 per person. RSVP by noon Feb 3 to LincolnRepWomen2@gmail.comor call Allison at (480) 628-2763. Panelist -LD3 Reps Joseph Chaplik and LD3 Rep Alex Kolodin, and LD4 Rep Matt Gress.

FEB 7 – CONSTITUTION TUESDAY: 6:30 pm. at Lydia’s La Canasta, 2023 W Wickenburg Way in Wickenburg with speaker Jerry Sheridan, Maricopa County Sheriff candidate. The kitchen closes at 6pm.. Sheridan’s website will be up soon at https://sheridan4sheriff2020.com/

FEB 7 – ARIZONA REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY (NW MARICOPA CHAPTER): 6:30 pm., in the West Valley Republican office, 10050 W Bell Road, #50 in Sun City.  Request to Speak Workshop, presented by the President of the Arizona Constables Assoc azraaz.org/maricopanw/

FEB 7 – QUEEN CREEK-SANTAN VALLEY REPUBLICAN WOMEN hosts Nick Adams, best-selling author and conservative motivational speaker. His non-profit organization ‘FLAG’ ( Foundation for Liberty and American Greatness), creates kid-friendly educational materials on the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Federalist Papers. San Tan Valley Government Center, 31505 N Schnepf Road, San Tan Valley at 5:30. Website https://qcstvrepublicanwomen.com/ Contact person Kaye Feller (805) 890-6766

FEB 8 – The Republican Liberty Caucus of Arizona for Liberty Lobby Day. Join them for a day at the legislature, making case for individua liberty, limited government, observing committee hearings and a floor session. Details tba. Join RLC at https://rlc.org/join-the-rlc

FEB 9 – AzFRW Dixie Belle River Cruise: 5 pm., London Bridge Resort English Village,1477 Queens Bay in Lake Havasu City. Boarding at 5:15pm with sail away at 5:45pm. Return to dock at 7:15pm for disembarkation. Appetizers provided with a no-host bar (cash/card). Wear winter clothes. $45 per ticket. Contact: Robyn Cushman, 3rdvp@azfrw.com or 602-989-2710

FEB 9–11 – ARIZONA FEDERATION OF REPUBLICAN WOMEN BOARD OF DIRECTORS STATE MEETING: London Bridge Resort, 1477 Queens Bay, Lake Havasu City.. RSVP by phone at 928-855-0888. Mention “AZ Federation of Republican Women”. Group Block Cut-Off Date: January 4th, 2023.

FEB 11 – THE WICKENBURG GOLD RUSH DAYS PARADE starts at 10 am.

FEB 11 – LD19: 10 am., Continental Shopping Center, 210 W. Continental Rd in Green Valley. Agenda: Legislative updates from LD19 Sen David Gowan, LD19 Reps Gail Griffin and Lupe Diaz. LD19 meets regularly on 2nd Saturday monthly alternating locations between Benson & Green Valley, AZ. C ontact Chairman Cheryl Caswell at cherylcaswell@msn.com or website @ http://azld19republicans.com

FEB 13 – YAVAPAI REPUBLICAN MEN’S FORUM: 10:30 am.,at Prescott Vibes Events Center, 6200 Hwy 89, Prescott, AZ  86301. Speaker – Congressman Paul Gosar.  Lunch $30. RSVP before Wed., Feb 8th, 2023 to https://yrmf.org/luncheon-meetings or email: luncheon@yrmf.org or Call John Tanzi @ 928-776-8116.

FEB 17 – REPUBLICAN WOMEN OF WICKENBURG Presidents Day Dinner: 5 pm., at Wickenburg Ranch. Reserved Seating only.  Dinner Tickets $65 & VIP Seating $150. Speaker Congressman Eli Crane. VIP Guests Congressman Paul Gosar & Legislator Sonny Borelli. Live Auction to Benefit Scholarship Programs Purchase Tickets at www.RWOW.org

FEB 18 – MOHAVE COUNTY LINCOLN DAY DINNER: 5 pm. check in at London Bridge Resort Convention Center in Lake Havasu City. $100 per ticket. Speaker – Kari Lake. And Congressman David Schweikert. RSVP to Pam Ford at 928-486-4033

FEB 20 – 2023 AZGOP CANDIDATE SYMPOSIUM: in person, live stream and watch party event.  Limited to 100 State Committeemen.  More info at www.Grassroots50.com

FEB 21 – SUN CITY REPUBLICAN CLUB: 6 pm, meet and greet, 6:30 meeting at Sundial Recreation Center East Hall, 14801 N. 103rd Ave , Sun City, Speaker – Jeff Taylor addressing Arizona drug problems. Contact Suncitygopclub@gmail.com or 623-815-8557.

FEB 23 – ARIZONA CHAPTER BOARD OF JEWISH NATIONAL FUND breakfast, at the JW Marriot Desert Ridge. Free event with too nationally recognized speakers. To RSVP

FEB 24 – ASU REPUBLICANS UNITED will meet every Tuesday, at 6 pm.,. outside the Business Adm Blvd, 400 E Lemon St in Tempe.

FEB 26 – U OF A REPUBLICANS UNITED will met every Thur., at 6:30 pm., in the Mesquite Rm., 1303 E University Blvd in Tucson.

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