BREAKING: Arizona Gubernatorial Debate WILL HAPPEN After Kari Calls Out Cowardice of Katie Hobbs – And Committee Votes to Have Hobbs Staffer Recused From Voting On Decision

https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1567981335922495491

The Arizona Clean Elections Commission held a virtual public meeting today “to discuss and possibly take action on the general election gubernatorial debate.”

The commission rejected Katie Hobbs’ proposal to change the debate into a forum with separate interviews for Katie Hobbs and Kari Lake.

For 20 years, Arizona voters have had the opportunity to see their candidates participate on the statewide debate stage, and it wouldn’t have happened this year if Hobbs got her way.

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, Katie Hobbs responded to the challenge weeks after Kari Lake agreed to debate, requesting a new format where each candidate conducts a separate thirty-minute town hall-style interview.

This was after Kari challenged Hobbs to debate while letting her choose the time, location, moderators, and debate questions, but Hobbs was still too afraid!

AZ Republican Blake Masters: “Mark Kelly Is Enabling This Kind of Creeping, Bureaucratic, Totalitarianism That Joe Biden is Delivering” (VIDEO)

After Hobbs made her gutless decision to back out, Kari Lake released the following video message where she called Hobbs out for her cowardice.

Lake: Well, the deadline was today, and my opponent, Katie Hobbs, has officially declined the debate. Hobbs is so terrified that I might bring up the fact that she is a twice-convicted racist and that her racism cost the Arizona taxpayers nearly $3 million.

She doesn’t have one single policy to stand on, not one. I made it unbelievably easy for her. She picks the date, the time, the moderator. She even had the chance to write all of the questions, but she would rather hide from the voters and let Soros and other dark money groups pour millions of dollars into attack ads against me. That’s her plan. Well, Katie, it didn’t work in the primary, and it’s not going to work in the general either. Arizona, Hobbs thinks so little of you that she isn’t even going to campaign and try to earn your vote, but I sure will. Please visit KariLake.com/events, come on out, and meet me, and then ask me your tough questions. You can grill me, seriously. I’m applying for a job, and you are the hiring manager. Unlike Katie Hobbs, I will not be hiding. Quite the contrary, I will be out every single day meeting my future bosses, you the people of Arizona. I hope I get to see you out there on the campaign trail soon.

https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1565833866480214016

Yesterday, Lake shot off the following letter to Arizona Clean Elections, calling on them to reject Hobbs’ “safe space” forum and for Commissioner Amy Chan, an employee of Katie Hobbs, to recuse herself from this decision.

WATCH: Trump-Endorsed Kari Lake Takes Question From Gateway Pundit Reporter After Coward Katie Hobbs DARTS Out Of Building, SLAMS Hobbs And Fake News “Rag” Reporters

September 7, 2022

Citizens Clean Elections Commission

1616 W. Adams St., Suite 110

Phoenix, Arizona 85007

To Whom It May Concern,
We are sorely disappointed, but not surprised, that Katie Hobbs is sabotaging the Clean Elections
Commission’s efforts to put together a gubernatorial debate, as it has successfully done for years up until
now.

As a former award-winning journalist, Kari Lake passionately believes that the voters of Arizona deserve
at least one opportunity to see their two candidates side-by-side debating the issues of the day. That’s
why she made it clear she would accept the Commission’s invitation to debate with any format – with the
reasonable expectation that Katie Hobbs would be on stage with her.

The townhall format that Katie Hobbs proposed last week is not a debate, but a safe space from any
serious criticism or scrutiny of her record. Perhaps Katie Hobbs is worried that Kari Lake will bring up her
record of convictions for racial and sexual discrimination on live television. She should be, but facing
criticism and taking responsibility for your record in front of the voters is one of the most basic
qualifications of leadership. Hobbs is failing at it spectacularly.

Kari Lake will not take part in the town hall format that Katie Hobbs has proposed, and we call on the
Commission to reject it as well. On September 7th, Lake and Hobbs are taking part in this style of “forum”
put on by the Chamber of Commerce with the Hobbs demanded set-up. Once again, this has highlighted
how afraid and unsure Katie Hobbs is of her own positions and policies. The Clean Elections Commission
is the only organization in the state that has the opportunity to put together a genuine debate between the
two candidates for the people of Arizona. Kari Lake will not go along with Katie Hobbs’ attempt to
sabotage it – and neither should the Commission.

We are calling on the Commission to schedule the debate as planned with two podiums on stage. Kari
Lake will be there to answer any and all questions from the moderator. If at some point Katie Hobbs
decides to show up, Kari Lake will be more than happy to share the stage with her. If she does not show
up, that is a revealing fact that the voters of Arizona deserve to know as well. Hobbs’ strategy may be to
avoid facing any real scrutiny from voters or the press for this entire campaign, but the Clean Elections
Commission cannot allow itself to become a pawn in her game and set a dangerous new precedent that
allows candidates to hide from the voters without any repercussions.

In addition, we are calling on Commissioner Amy Chan to recuse herself from the Commission’s
deliberations and vote on this matter. Given that Chan currently works as General Counsel in Katie
Hobb’s Secretary of State office, her involvement evokes a clear conflict of interest that would taint the
Commission’s decision.

We look forward to scheduling the debate with you, and we sincerely hope that Hobbs ultimately decides
to attend.

Thank you,
Kari Lake for Governor

The Clean Elections Commission officially voted today 13-3 to hold the regular debate instead of a forum with separate interviews.

Kari Lake War Room created a tweet thread on the meeting and notified followers that Secretary of State staffer Amy Chan had recused herself from the decision.

https://twitter.com/KariLakeWarRoom/status/1567948541632577538

The tweet thread continued,

@AZCCECExecutive Director Thomas Collin noting the irregularity of @katiehobbs“demands.”
@AZCCECsent out their initial save the date in July, followed up with a detailed invitation on August 10th that included the format. Asked for an RSVP by August 26th.
@katiehobbsrequested changes on deadline day but failed to deliver proposal changes promptly.
The format proposed by the @AZCCECwas the same format that won an Emmy for the #AZSen debate of 2020.
This proposal was not good enough for @katiehobbs.
@katiehobbs team made the following proposal on 9/2.
They requested two separate 30-minute Town Hall interviews.
1 minute long open and closing statements for each candidate followed by a @tedatpbs interview.
Tom Collins is reading the Team @KariLake note that details that @katiehobbs is a twice-convicted racist.
Team @KariLake has rejected all of @katiehobbs proposed changes and requests to debate in the same fashion that all candidates have for the last two decades with @AZCCEC.
Hobbs campaign manager Nicole Dumont will be speaking on her behalf.
Dumont is the campaign manager that created such a toxic work environment at @katiehobbs office that 2/3 of her staff quit before the primary.
@KariLakeattorney Tim Lasota will be representing his client.

Chairman of the @AZCCEC Damien Meyer believes “that it is in the best interest of Arizona voters for both candidates to have a fair and reasonable debate.”
He has recommended that they reject @katiehobbs proposed changes
Mr. Meyer does not support a town hall format and seeks both candidates’ collaboration to agree on rules.
Commissioner Mark Kimble notes how the @katiehobbs campaign recommended a “complete revamp” finds it to be unrealistic, and recommends that the board issue a declaration of format.
Mr. Kimble also rejects the proposed Town Hall format from the @katiehobbs camp.
Commissioner Galen Paton agrees with his colleagues and says that the mission of the @AZCCEC is to have “debates not town halls.”
They’re trying “to represent over 8 million Arizonans. We need to see a debate between these two.”
Commissioner Titla agrees with @katiehobbs (Mr. Titla is a Democrat) and seems to imply that @KariLake is unreasonable.
He then proceeds to give a litany of insulting Democrat talking points (including election denier!)
Mr Titla despite attacking Ms. Lake’s character believes that both candidates should be given time to agree on rules.
Sounds like you really do think she might be reasonable, commissioner.
Nicole Dumont claims that @katiehobbs wants a “substantive discussion.”
Despite refusing to elaborate on what she thinks that might be.
Dumont, who is the only speaker not on camera, calls @KariLake a conspiracy theorist, proceeds to insult @KariLake, and accuses Kari Lake of “making thinly veiled threats” on our democracy.

Has been thankfully cut off from her continued insane ramblings.

Ms.Dumont sounds like a nightmare. No wonder 75% of @katiehobbs staff quit rather than work with her.
Ms. Dumont refuses to elaborate on what terms would be acceptable for @katiehobbsto share the stage with @KariLake.
Calls it a ‘hypothetical” question. Is laughed at by the panel.
Despite @katiehobbs campaign manager being given the platform to slander @KariLake, our lawyer has been denied the same opportunity.
We will remind you that Katie Hobbs is a radical, twice-convicted racist.
Tim Lasota says @katiehobbs is insulting Arizona voters.
Shares a screenshot from @AZCCEC noting that every single candidate state-wide has agreed to a debate BUT Katie Hobbs.
“.@katiehobbs doesn’t want to take tough questions on her record.”
If this Commission capitulates on this debate, these debates will be a thing of the past.
Every single candidate who is afraid of their record like (Hobbs) will back out.
Lasota “I ask you to turn down this proposal. We will be at the debate on October 6th.”
“Both candidates are eloquent in so many ways. Let’s get them together.”
“There are real issues we want to hear about.”
– Debra Bernoff, small business owner speaks during Q&A
The @azdempartyhas clearly released the same talking points about the @AZGOPprimary debate being an insult fest.

Need we remind you that both @KariLake @Karrin4Arizonatook that process seriously?

@katiehobbsrefusal to debate shows just how unserious she is.
@RaeLeeKlein
“This is a great opportunity to educate voters on the stances of both candidates, and it’s not the job of one candidate to dictate what we the people, are able to hear or not to hear.”
Damian Meyer “i anticipate a decision will be reached today.”
Wendee Saunders,
“if you can’t handle yourself under pressure, under shots fired so speak,.. how will you stand up for us?”
Good question.
“The Governorship is the highest in the state. This affects us even more than the presidency. We have no idea who to vote for, if we don’t see the debate.” – Lori

“This is indicative of the leadership we would see from @katiehobbs.”

Requests a debate and a fair exchange of ideas between the candidates.
William Pounds, the green party guy, is using his mother’s Skype login. That tracks.
“What’s best for Arizona is to have both women debate.” This seems to be the consensus here.
We will be wrapping up this live tweeting here. If anything relevant emerges, we will keep you informed. Stay tuned to this channel & @KariLake. We will continue to push for an in-person debate between both candidates.

Kari Lake released the following statement moments ago, taunting Katie Hobbs and calling on her to “grow a spine.”

If the Republican Party had more Kari Lakes, they’d never lose to a Democrat again.

Katie Hobbs can run, but she can’t hide in the basement like Joe Biden.

Photo of author
Jordan Conradson, formerly TGP’s Arizona correspondent, is currently on assignment in Washington DC. Jordan has played a critical role in exposing fraud and corruption in Arizona's elections and elected officials. His reporting on election crimes in Maricopa County led to the resignation of one election official, and he was later banned from the Maricopa County press room for his courage in pursuit of the truth. TGP and Jordan finally gained access after suing Maricopa County, America's fourth largest county, and winning at the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. Conradson looks forward to bringing his aggressive style of journalism to the Swamp.

You can email Jordan Conradson here, and read more of Jordan Conradson's articles here.

 

Thanks for sharing!