A state Supreme Court Justice and former Phoenix councilman had great seats at DBacks game. Who paid for them?

Fans of both the Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona public officials wanted to know: Was that really state Supreme Court Justice Clint Bolick and former Phoenix Councilman Sal DiCiccio with the great seats behind home plate for Wednesday's epic game?

Indeed it was, as Bolick and DiCiccio confirmed. Which brings up another question: Who paid for the Bolicks' seats, which are among the most expensive at Chase Field?

Bolick and his son, Ryne, sat in the first row of seats in the Batter's Box suite, and DiCiccio sat two rows behind them, all appearing in numerous TV shots during what is now considered a historic game. The Diamondbacks not only swept the Los Angeles Dodgers and are headed to the National League Championship Series, but also made baseball history with four home runs in a single inning of a postseason game.

Bolick, through Supreme Court spokesman Alberto Rodriguez, said he got the tickets from "close friends and am in the process of reimbursing them fully. We covered all our own costs. There were no freebies provided whatsoever."

Former Republican Gov. Doug Ducey appointed Bolick — who was a well-known libertarian lawyer working with the conservative Goldwater Institute — to the state Supreme Court in 2016. He's the husband of state Sen. Shawnna Bolick, R-Phoenix, a former state representative who was appointed to the Arizona Senate in July.

Shawnna Bolick didn't attend the game.

Clint Bolick didn't immediately respond to follow-up questions. But DiCiccio filled in some of the details for The Arizona Republic.

DiCiccio said he figured that the phone call he received from The Republic on Thursday was about the seats.

“I was on TV, I guess,” DiCiccio said.

He explained that the tickets came from Chuck Warren, a political consultant from The September Group, who does work in Arizona and Utah. Warren served as DiCiccio’s political consultant.

'He always pays for the tickets'

DiCiccio said he did not reimburse Warren for the seats.

But Warren, when reached by The Republic, said Bolick wrote a check for the $200-apiece tickets for him and his son, and that he understood the check was on its way.

The justice is his longtime friend who even officiated at the wedding of Warren's son and daughter-in-law, Warren said.

Warren said he has hosted Bolick at a football game previously and this was the first time he invited him to a Diamondbacks game.

“He always pays for the tickets,” Warren said, “and he brings it up.”

But it's not like the average fan could have picked up these tickets for $200 each. Warren said that as a season ticket holder he receives an offer to buy suites ahead of playoff rounds. He took the Diamondbacks up on the offer for this game. Warren said he paid $3,200 for the suite.

He and Bolick don’t talk policy nor politics, Warren said, instead focusing on sports.

Warren said he has never had a client with a case before the Arizona Supreme Court while Bolick has been on the bench.

According to a biography posted on the website of a radio show he co-hosts, Warren’s past clients have included Blue Cross Blue Shield, Amazon and the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, all entities with Arizona presence. He has also represented the Republican Governor’s Association and the Republican National Committee.

Warren helped organize the gubernatorial campaign for Kari Lake, the Republican nominee who lost a close election that she contested and who is now running for the U.S. Senate. Her case went up to the Arizona Supreme Court, which dismissed all but one of her claims. Warren said he had not worked with Lake “for some time.”

To Warren, the evening was simply two friends enjoying a baseball game.

“You can make anything out of this you want,” he said. “I don’t know if he’s supposed to just stay home after work. Would that make everybody happy?”

Warren said he sat in the first row down the way from Bolick. He said his assistant handed out the seats randomly so it was just by chance that Bolick was seated in the first row. And in full view of the television cameras.

DiCiccio said he thought his third-row spot was better. “I could stand up where I was,” he said.

Reach Ruelas at 602-444-8473 or at richard.ruelas@arizonarepublic.com. Follow the reporter at @ruelaswritings on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Reach the reporter at rstern@arizonarepublic.com or 480-276-3237. Follow him on X @raystern.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Who paid for Clint Bolick and Sal DiCiccio's seats a DBacks game?