Arizona high court to consider whether Clean Elections can claw back disputed funds

The Arizona Supreme Court agreed to hear a case from Green Party nominees Risa Lombardo and Duwayne Collier, who want to block the Citizens Clean Elections Commission from clawing back $3.7 million in public funds even if fraud is proven, arguing the commission lacks that authority and only criminal courts should handle it. Lombardo, Collier and Republican Scott Neely are all under civil and criminal investigation over allegations they falsified $5 qualifying contributions to collect $4.7 million combined.

The Arizona Mirror found six people listed as donors who denied giving money, and about 4,000 of nearly 8,000 listed contributors appeared duplicated across the three candidates, with over 2,600 listed as giving to all three. The candidates' attorney called the investigation a bullying campaign rooted in a political grudge, while Clean Elections director Tom Collins said the findings merely confirmed the commission's own prior work.

The Green Party itself had earlier labeled Lombardo and Collier 'sham' candidates, citing their lack of party ties and Republican connections, a label Collins later quoted back at them as evidence they lacked the grassroots support needed to legitimately qualify for funding.

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