Senate Republicans Condemn Katie Hobbs for Rewarding Dysfunctional Group Home Millions in Taxpayer Dollars After Receiving Campaign Donations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                   

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Senate Republicans Condemn Katie Hobbs for Rewarding Dysfunctional

Group Home Millions in Taxpayer Dollars After Receiving Campaign Donations

PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Senate Republicans are condemning Katie Hobbs after local media today revealed she spent millions in taxpayer dollars over the past year to reward a dysfunctional group home for its campaign contributions to her.

The report exposed donations from Sunshine Residential Homes, totaling approximately $400,000, going towards the Arizona Democratic Party, Hobbs gubernatorial campaign, as well as her inauguration fund. In response, Hobbs' Department of Child Services (DCS) approved a nearly 60% increase in the daily rate Sunshine Residential Homes charges to care for a child. Sunshine Residential Homes was the only provider to receive this increase, while others were denied pay increases to home operators, and more than a dozen were terminated from the state's system altogether.

Sunshine Residential Homes is currently under scrutiny for the 2022 death of a 9-year-old boy, after he was taken into their custody just two weeks earlier and not administered with the diabetes medication he needed. Litigation between the child's family and the facility is currently ongoing.

"This is a disgusting abuse of taxpayer dollars to further her political career, and our hardworking citizens deserve answers as to how she got away with this," said Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services. "Knowing Arizona's Governor and the Arizona Democratic Party are providing preferential treatment to a facility alleged to have engaged in negligence leading to the death of a child is unconscionable. Our children are our most precious population, and the state should be doing everything in its power to discourage abuse and neglect, not reward it. How can we trust Hobbs, Democrats, and DCS after these disgraceful transactions that reek of corruption? This is a prime example of why I sponsored SB 1571. The public has a right to know who is donating to Hobbs, and what favors those entities are receiving in return."

"Arizonans deserve to know how their elected officials are spending their money, and this case raises a major red flag with what's happening behind closed doors on the ninth floor," said Senate President Warren Petersen. "With the state in the middle of a budget shortfall, and with what appears to be a pay-to-play scheme now exposed, the Legislature has a lot of questions we will be seeking answers to from both the Governor's office and DCS. Our citizens deserve better. Rest assured, we will continue to serve Arizonans as the check and balance against any abuse of power displayed by our Executive and the agencies under her administration."

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For more information, contact:

Kim Quintero

Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus

kquintero@azleg.gov