FOIAzona

An aide to Gov. Katie Hobbs recorded conversations about the Sunshine Residential Homes corruption investigation, according to audio files obtained by FOIAzona.

I assume anyone reading this blog is already familiar with the Sunshine scandal. If not, here’s the short version: In 2024, Hobbs became the subject of two very serious criminal investigations — one by state AG Kris Mayes (D) and one by Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell (R) — after revelations that her administration had granted enormous rate hikes to a state government contractor who donated six figures to her campaign and groups supporting her.

Mayes recently was accused of hiding incriminating evidence about Hobbs, and the governor herself has remained eerily silent on this scandal (even going so far to ignore an interview demand from Mayes), which is where this blog post comes into play.

A while back, I noticed a stray photograph taken during an unexpected confrontation between Hobbs and reporters in June 2024 (right when the Sunshine revelations came out) in which one of her aides can be seen in the background holding a small recording device.

I filed a FOIA request with the Governor’s Office seeking “the full unedited audio/video files” taken on that device on June 10 and June 11. I even included a copy of the stray photograph with a red arrow pointed toward the device:

It took more than one year for Hobbs’s office to respond — which won’t surprise anyone who has to deal with these people — but my FOIA request did, in fact, turn up two audio files.

And both of them reveal Hobbs talking about the Sunshine investigation. (Scroll down to listen.)

To be clear: Recording an elected official’s conversations with reporters is standard practice. It would be negligent not to, which is why I’m redacting the aide’s face for this blog post. They didn’t do anything weird here.

What is *very* rare is that these standard practice MP3 files become relevant to a criminal investigation involving the elected official who recorded them … and, because they are audio-only, presumably would not show up in response to keyword searches conducted by investigators.

These are recordings from just two days in June 2024. That’s it. And I do wonder whether Hobbs and her team — in the Governor’s Office, at the Arizona Department of Child Safety, and on her campaign — recorded other conversations (with the media, among themselves, or anyone else) about the Sunshine investigation that we don’t know about.

Maybe requesting more recordings will be helpful to investigators looking into the matter.

Listen to the first audio file (June 10 in Tucson):

Listen to the second audio file (June 11 in Phoenix):

Read an excerpt from the first audio file (June 10 in Tucson):

HOBBS AIDE: “Okay. I presume everybody has other questions. Right? Stacey, I can’t imagine what yours are, so —”

REPORTER 1: “Governor, I wonder if you can just react to Kris Mayes launching an investigation related to your office and its connections to Sunshine Residential Homes.”

KATIE HOBBS: “Well, in light of the fact that there is an investigation, I’m not going to comment except to say I look forward to its conclusion and it showing that we acted in the best interests of the state. And in the meantime I’m going to focus on tackling the tough challenges that we’re facing.”

REPORTER 1: “Have you been contacted by the attorney general?”

KATIE HOBBS: “I’m not going to comment any further. There’s an investigation.”

HOBBS AIDE: “Yeah. Others?”

…

REPORTER 2: “Apologies if you were already asked this, but did you have any role in the rate increase from Sunshine Residential Homes?”

KATIE HOBBS: “I was asked that. I’m not answering any more questions.”

Read an excerpt from the second audio file (June 11 in Phoenix):

REPORTER: “Governor, good morning. I bet you can’t guess why we’re here.”

HOBBS AIDE: “Can we — can we give her some — just step — why don’t you step back? Okay. There we go.”

REPORTER: “Governor, let’s talk about a certain contract. Who in your office, including you, had any contacts with DCS about giving the contract to Sunshine?”

KATIE HOBBS: “Look, I am just going to say this: I’m a social worker, and it is outrageous that I would not act in the best interest of Arizona’s children in foster care. I have always and will always do what is best for Arizonans. There is an AG investigation. I’m not going to comment further except to say that I look forward to the conclusion of that investigation and finding that we acted in the best interests of Arizonans. That is all I’m going to say about this.”

REPORTER 1: “Okay, but —”

KATIE HOBBS: “That is ALL I’m going to say right now!”

REPORTER: “But you’re basically —”

HOBBS AIDE: “That’s all she’s going to say! That’s all she’s going to say. You’re going to get the same answers.”

REPORTER 2: (inaudible)

KATIE HOBBS: “I’m not commenting any further on this issue or to questions about anything else.”

…

REPORTER 3: “Do you believe that Kris Mayes will do a fair job? I know you don’t want to comment on the investigation. Do you believe that Kris Mayes, who blows hot and cold with you, will do a fair job with investigating?

KATIE HOBBS: “Yes.”

REPORTER 3: “And Rachel Mitchell? Would she do a fair job?”

KATIE HOBBS: “I’m not going to comment on something that’s not happening at this moment.”

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