Democrat Katie Hobbs, Arizona secretary of state and gubernatorial candidate, was quick to amplify claims that “dangerous misinformation” from her Republican opponent Kari Lake was connected to a break-in at her office this week. Police have now reportedly arrested a suspect and confirmed the break-in had no political motivation, so Hobbs did what any self-respecting Democrat political candidate would do — she refused to discuss the new development or her former accusations.
“AFTER accusing my team of coordinating a Watergate-style break-in of her office, Katie Hobbs has now flip-flopped and DOES NOT want to talk about the crime,” Kari Lake tweeted Thursday. “This comes AFTER arrest was made and NO political motivation confirmed.”
On Oct. 26, Hobbs tweeted a statement from her campaign manager Nicole DeMont. “Earlier this week, a break-in occurred at our campaign headquarters,” DeMont said. “We continue to cooperate with law enforcement as they investigate, and we are thankful to the men and women of the Phoenix Police Department for their work to keep us safe.” DeMont might need to up her wokeness — she’s excluding dozens of genders by talking only about the “men and women” of the police department. Do better, DeMont.
“Secretary Hobbs and her staff have faced hundreds of death threats and threats of violence over the course of this campaign,” DeMont’s statement continued. “Let’s be clear: for nearly two years Kari Lake and her allies have been spreading dangerous misinformation and inciting threats against anyone they see fit. The threats against Arizonans attempting to exercise their constitutional rights and their attacks on elected officials are the direct result of a concerted campaign of lies and intimidation.” All nice and vague, of course.
Some comparisons were even made between Hobbs’ framing of the potential burglary and the famous 1972 Watergate break-in, as Newsweek wrote.
But while Hobbs was happy to spread unproven accusations Wednesday, by Thursday she apparently didn’t want to discuss the break-in. Kari Lake shared a video on Oct. 27 of Hobbs nervously refusing to comment or explain after it was reportedly confirmed that the perpetrator of her office break-in was not politically motivated.
In the video tweeted by Lake, which originally came from NBC news correspondent Vaughn Hillyard, a man (presumably Hillyard) asks Hobbs, “What was taken from your campaign office, and do you have reason to believe that this was politically motivated?” Hobbs, smiling, hurriedly stammers, “I’m not talking about — I’m not talking about that today. I’m not talking about that.” The man responds, “It’s kind of a big deal, though, that your campaign office was broken into. Do we —” At this point, Hobbs cuts her questioner off by preaching, “I think access to safe and legal abortion is kind of a big deal, and that’s what we’re here to talk about.”
The questioner presses her, insisting, “Do you have reason to believe it was politically motivated?” Hobbs looks fixedly in another direction as a clearly-uncomfortable staffer answers, “We’re not going to go beyond this statement at this time.” If only Hobbs had been that cautious in her initial reactions.
A recent poll from leftist think tank Data for Progress showed Kari Lake leading Hobbs at 50% of the vote in Arizona, with Hobbs at 46%.
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