Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat running for governor in 2022, is under fire for her connection to a discrimination lawsuit filed by a former aide to state Senate Democrats.
Talonya Adams, a Black woman, alleged that she was underpaid and fired after detailing that she earned less money than her co-workers.
In two separate trials, the judicial system has agreed with Adams, recently awarding her $2.75 million in damages.
When Adams was fired, Hobbs served as the highest-ranking Democrat in the Arizona State Legislature. She has admitted that she played a role in the decision to fire Adams, but she denied that the termination was motivated by race.
Adams has argued Hobbs should not win the competition for governor.
Other contenders for the Democratic nomination for governor have slammed Hobbs, contending the latest developments demonstrate that she is unfit for office.
“Her campaign has falsely shifted blame and misled voters about her role in the decision to fire Talonya and her ‘voluntarily’ testifying when in fact she was subpoenaed. That’s not the kind of leadership Arizona needs from a Governor,” said candidate and former state Representative Aaron Lieberman.
Arizonans deserve a leader who is open, transparent and takes responsibility for their actions. As Democrats we cannot simply look the other way because it is uncomfortable.
We must live our values every day. In this instance, Katie Hobbs has clearly failed to do so.
— Aaron Lieberman for AZ Governor (@aaron4az) November 18, 2021
“Arizonans deserve a leader who is open, transparent and takes responsibility for their actions. As Democrats we cannot simply look the other way because it is uncomfortable. We must live our values every day. In this instance, Katie Hobbs has clearly failed to do so,” he continued.
“There is no place in Arizona for hate or discrimination. This raises serious questions that Secretary of State Hobbs must answer and will cost taxpayers millions of dollars. As governor, I will not tolerate this type or any kind of discriminatory behavior in my administration,” said Marco Lopez, who is also challenging Hobbs in the primary.
There is no place in Arizona for hate or discrimination. This raises serious questions that Secretary of State Hobbs must answer and will cost taxpayers millions of dollars. As governor, I will not tolerate this type or any kind of discriminatory behavior in my administration. https://t.co/unRzOvEVZY
— Marco Lopez (@1marcolopez) November 11, 2021
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Katie Hobbs” by Katie Hobbs. Photo “Talonya Adams” by Flinn Foundation.
