Social media users share false claim that Arizona governor was indicted | Fact check

Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY
·3 min read
15

The claim: Arizona Senate indicted Gov. Katie Hobbs

A Sept. 29 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) shows a screenshot of a post on X, formerly Twitter, claiming a sitting U.S. governor will face criminal charges.

"BREAKING: Arizona Senate has laid out RICO indictments against Katie Hobbs and others in violation of RICO ACT-13-2301, including bribery, racketeering, money laundering, drug trafficking, human trafficking, aiding and abetting the Sinaloa Cartel, and election fraud," reads the now-deleted X post.

The Instagram post, which shows a TikTok video of a woman reading the X post, received more than 200 likes in two days. The original TikTok video garnered more than 50,000 likes in eight days. Similar versions of the claim have been shared on Instagram.

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Our rating: False

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has not been indicted. The claim stems from baseless accusations made during a presentation organized by a since-expelled member of the Arizona state legislature. The state Senate doesn't hold the power to indict, according to state officials.

Hobbs hasn't been indicted

The claim refers to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970, which established more severe penalties for those involved in organized crime.

Both Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for the Arizona Office of the Attorney General, and Calli Jones, a spokesperson for the Arizona Senate Democratic Caucus, told USA TODAY via email the claim is false. They both said the Arizona Senate doesn't hold the power to indict anyone.

Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers, a Republican, said something similar on X.

"The following is FAKE NEWS," Rogers said in response to the original X post. "The legislature doesn't issue indictments!"

In Arizona, indictments are issued by a grand jury of at least nine citizens after being presented evidence by a prosecutor and finding sufficient evidence to support charges, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

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The TikTok video includes a clip of a February Arizona joint House and Senate Elections Committee hearing, during which a Scottsdale insurance agent made baseless accusations against numerous officials, including Hobbs. The woman accused officials of conspiring with a Mexican drug cartel and accepting bribes.

The House Ethics Committee expelled Arizona Rep. Liz Harris in April for her role in organizing the presentation and participating in what the committee labeled "disorderly behavior."

USA TODAY reached out to Hobbs' office and the Instagram and TikTok users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response. The X user couldn't be contacted.

The claim has also been debunked by PolitiFact, the Associated Press and Check Your Fact.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Claim that Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs was indicted is false | Fact check