Arizona Democrat Bankrolled Campaign With Funds Raised With Democrat Ousted Over Sex Scandal

March 30, 2024 ADI Staff Reporter
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Democratic candidate Kirsten Engel

Democratic candidate Kirsten Engel bankrolled her congressional campaign with funds raised using the help of Democrat Jevin Hodge, who resigned from the House this week after his college sex scandal came to light — just two months after his appointment.

Engel jointly fundraised with Hodge last November. Hodge’s donation plea cited his narrow failure to unseat Congressman David Schweikert in 2022.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors appointed Hodge to the vacant Arizona House seat in January, formerly held by Athena Salman. Hodge was expected to hold the seat until this November’s election.

That was, until last week when documents were uncovered revealing Hodge’s violations of sexual violence and sexual misconduct policies while a 21-year-old student at George Washington University in 2015. The university suspended Hodge after confirming a woman’s claim that he had attempted to initiate sex against her will.

Just days later, Engel announced her formal filing for Congress.

National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokesman Ben Petersen said Engel keeping silent and holding onto the Hodge funds equated to her tolerance of his past misdeeds.

“The extreme Democrats running for Congress have stayed shamefully silent on Jevin Hodge’s sexual violence violation despite vocally praising him previously,” said Petersen. “Kirsten Engel must donate the tainted money she bankrolled her campaign with by fundraising with Hodge or be complicit in Hodge’s unacceptable behavior.”

In response to the discovery of his past sexual misconduct, Hodge posted a formal statement last Monday denying the allegations. Hodge characterized his accuser as a woman who had changed her mind following an alcohol-infused, fully-clothed, allegedly consensual encounter.

At the time, Hodge didn’t mention any intent of resigning from the legislature. In fact, he doubled down on his intent of holding onto his seat: the first one he had managed to secure after several failed candidacies, though this seat was given to him and not won through an election.

Just a day later, however, Hodge resigned.

It seems other Democrats who formerly praised Hodge’s political endeavors have opted for silence.

Among them are Arizona’s other Democratic congressional candidates in the crowded District 1 race who were quick to lavish praise on Hodge for his legislative appointment in January: Andrei Cherny, Conor O’Callaghan, Kurt Kroemer, and Marlene Galan-Woods.

Cherney went so far as to say Hodge “wrote the playbook” to win the congressional seat they were after, referencing Hodge’s narrow loss to Schweikert in 2022.

So far, these Democratic congressional candidates have kept quiet over the revelation of Hodge’s dark past.

https://twitter.com/ConorForAZ/status/1752749962939793414

Those candidates were also financial backers of Hodge’s congressional campaign. Cherney, Kroemer, and another first district contender, Amish Shah, gave Hodge over $8,000 for his failed 2022 congressional campaign.

Prior to Hodge’s failed congressional campaign and short stint as a lawmaker, Hodge was formerly the first vice chair for the Arizona Democratic Party and, notably, a fellow manager of Blue Wave Victory, the political consulting firm owned by former state representative Reginald Bolding.

That same political consulting firm was the target then-candidate, now Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, who accused Bolding and Hodge of influence peddling in a complaint filed with then-Attorney General Mark Brnovich. At the time, Bolding was the minority leader in the Arizona House and Hodge was well into his congressional campaign.

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