Don't expect a real investigation into Arizona's indicted fake elector senators

Finally, someone at the state Capitol is asking whether two senators awaiting trial on criminal charges meet the Arizona Legislature’s standards for ethical behavior.

Only I wouldn’t hold my breath awaiting an investigation into Republican Sens. Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern, who stand accused of forgery fraud and conspiracy.

The Ethics Committee is chaired by a Trump-endorsed Republican who believes the devil stole the 2020 election.

As we’ve learned, Democrats who yell “shame” and wag their fingers at Republicans for supporting a 1864 abortion ban warrant a full-blown investigation into their behavior. (See: Reps. Analise Ortiz and Oscar de los Santos.)

But Republicans suspected of forging signatures on their nominating petitions don’t. (See: Rep. Austin Smith.)

So, I’d guess that Republicans who posed as fake electors in a scheme to overturn Arizona’s 2020 presidential election won’t, either.

Kern, Hoffman still lead their committees

It’s been nearly a month since Hoffman and Kern were among 18 people indicted by a state grand jury, each charged with nine felonies.

Yet they not only remain on the Senate floor, voting on laws for the rest of us to follow, but they also continue to chair two key Senate committees: Judiciary (Kern) and Government (Hoffman).

“Not one of our members has been convicted of any crimes, nor any ethics violations, prompting the necessity of any punishment,” Senate President Warren Petersen said last month, in rejecting a call to remove them as chairmen.

It’s not punishment to temporarily remove indicted senators from chairing committees.

It’s just good sense.

After waiting in vain for a month for a Republican to bring an ethics complaint, Democratic Sen. Brian Fernandez finally filed one on Tuesday, asking that Hoffman and Kern temporarily be removed as committee chairmen.

“Not only do these allegations show shocking and horrifically bad judgment and conduct by Senators Hoffman and Kern, but if proven true, they also show criminal intent to defraud not only the U.S. Congress, the Archivist of the United State, the Chief Judge of the District Court of Arizona, the Arizona Secretary of State, the residents of Arizona and, of course the American people,” Fernandez wrote.

Complaint says that hurts the Arizona Senate

In his complaint, Fernandez cites an Ethics Committee rule that says the panel must investigate if a senator’s conduct “adversely reflects upon the Senate.”

Therein lies the problem.

The far right Republicans who control Arizona’s Legislature don't think posing as a fake elector adversely reflects upon the Senate — at least, not with the people who count.

Time after time, they’ve made it clear that they represent only Republicans and to heck with the other two-thirds of the state.

Biggs demands Mayes resign: Over fake elector case. That's funny

Including voters who may be wondering why a guy who tried to overturn democracy chairs a committee that oversees government.

And voters who may be wondering why a guy facing the possibility of prison chairs a committee that oversees prosecutors and the courts.

Don't expect its ethics committee to investigate

While it would be a refreshing surprise, don’t look for Senate Ethics Chairman David Farnsworth, R-Mesa, to convene a hearing.

In 2022, he knocked off the one of the few guys who stood up to the fake elector scheme, House Speaker Rusty Bowers.

“This is a real conspiracy headed up by the devil himself,” Farnsworth said during a campaign debate with Bowers.

Clearly, a conspiracy headed up by the devil himself trumps a conspiracy to overturn democracy.

When it comes to Hoffman and Kern, our Legislature is more likely to celebrate than castigate.

Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @LaurieRoberts.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Indicted Arizona senators are finally hit with an ethics complaint