Members of the Arizona House Ad Hoc Committee on Executive Oversight (CEO) have sent a letter to Attorney General Kris Mayes urging her to initiate a quo warranto action against the City of Phoenix for violations of state law stemming from a 2023 investigation which concluded that the City’s ordinance facilitating the transfer of firearms to Ukraine was in breach of three specific state statutes. Despite being alerted to the ordinance’s violation of state law, the City of Phoenix proceeded with the transfer.
In the letter, Committee Chairwoman Rep. Jacqueline Parker expressed the necessity for Attorney General Mayes to act decisively to address these breaches of law. According to recent testimony from former Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Gould before the Committee, such actions fall squarely within the scope of a quo warranto action, a legal procedure used to resolve issues of authority misuse. The City of Phoenix’s actions represent a clear case of operating beyond legal bounds, thus justifying this approach.
The Committee is asking Mayes to take all necessary steps to hold the City accountable, including seeking financial compensation for revenues that the City failed to generate due to its noncompliance with the law.
They once again invited Attorney General Mayes to address these concerns at the upcoming CEO hearing on April 17, or to provide a detailed written response. She has indicated publicly a reluctance to cooperate despite multiple records requests and letters from the CEO Committee seeking additional information.