PHOENIX, Arizona — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said she will not resign after both chambers of the Republican-controlled state Legislature passed resolutions condemning her remarks about the use of force involving masked federal law enforcement officers.
Mayes’ communications director, Richie Taylor, said that the attorney general remains committed to her office despite censure votes in the state House and Senate. “She will not stop defending the Constitution she swore an oath to uphold,” Taylor said.
The controversy stems from comments Mayes made referencing Arizona’s Stand Your Ground law while discussing hypothetical encounters involving masked federal officers, including immigration agents. Republicans accused Mayes of suggesting violence against law enforcement, a claim she later denied, saying she was not encouraging people to shoot officers.
The Arizona House passed House Resolution 2004 last week by a 33–25 vote, formally censuring Mayes and urging her resignation. The state Senate followed with its own resolution. Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Joseph Chaplik and Senate Majority Leader John Kavanagh, argued that Mayes’ remarks endangered officers and misled the public.
Democrats and Mayes’ office pushed back, framing the resolutions as political attacks tied to her opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies. Taylor said Republicans were “twisting her words” to deflect attention from what he described as unconstitutional federal actions.
While impeachment is constitutionally possible, Kavanagh acknowledged Republicans lack the two-thirds Senate majority required to remove Mayes from office, calling impeachment efforts unrealistic.
Sources
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