Democratic House candidate Matias Rosales was accused of misusing taxpayer funds, claims which Attorney General Kris Mayes investigated and dismissed.
Mayes’ office based their dismissal of the investigation on “publicly available information,” per a letter issued in February. The complaint was submitted last June by San Luis Mayor Nieves Riedel.
In Riedel’s letter, the mayor expressed concern that Rosales took advantage of his positions as vice mayor and board member of the Greater Yuma Port Authority (GYPA) by pocketing commissions, awarding large salaries to allies, and arranging for GYPA to lease office space from him. Riedel said that she was “given the ‘run around’” when seeking confirmation on the city’s return on its investment with GYPA, and that the city’s finance director was unable to “decipher in a meaningful fashion” the basic financial information that was finally provided.
Republican State Rep. Alexander Kolodin revisited the claims of wrongdoing by Rosales online, claiming that Mayes’ sourcing of “publicly available information” amounted to nothing more than a “Google search.”
In their dismissal letter, Mayes’ office said that, based on publicly available information, they couldn’t substantiate claims that the GYPA had leased office space owned by Rosales, the land sale transactions involved the real estate agency associated with Rosales, or that GYPA sold land to a partnership led by a former board member. Their letter also stated that they didn’t receive any corroborating evidence of alleged violations from the city.
🚨 BREAKING: Mayes’ bribery “investigation” of Rosales was nothing but a Google search. Yet she’ll go to any length to attack Republicans!#AZpolitics #Bias #DoubleStandard pic.twitter.com/NkDXzh6eCQ
— Rep. Alexander Kolodin (@realAlexKolodin) October 10, 2024
Kolodin submitted a letter to Mayes on Thursday expressing his continued concerns with the lack of resolution in the claims against Rosales.
“According to the Mayor of San Luis, Rosales has spent years using taxpayer money to enrich himself and his allies—taking advantage of his positions as vice-mayor and the Greater Yuma Port Authority (“GYPA”) board. Despite a million-dollar investment from the City of San Luis, there’s been no return for taxpayers while Rosales has allegedly pocketed commissions, given large salaries to allies, and arranged for the GYPA to lease office space from him. These are not the only concerning elements of Mr. Rosales’ history. For example, when your predecessor prosecuted members of the Yuma vote-buying ring, he ‘noted that several … tallied ballots were marked only for’ Rosales and two other candidates.”
Kolodin accused her office of making “a joke” in handling the matter and hypocritically investigating Republicans with far greater scrutiny than Democrats.
“[Y]our office leaves no stone unturned when you wish to target your political opponents,” wrote Kolodin. “Arizonans might rightly ask whether this differential treatment is because Mr. Rosales is a supporter of yours.”
The Mayor of San Luis has accused state house candidate Matias Rosales of using taxpayer money to enrich himself and his allies. The state’s last budget was 17 billion dollars🤔 Choose carefully! 1/2 pic.twitter.com/QUTKSIsoLM
— Rep. Alexander Kolodin (@realAlexKolodin) October 9, 2024
Kolodin argued that the $17 billion budget ought to invite greater scrutiny into alleged misuse of taxpayer funds. He requested a more thorough investigation of Rosales.
“I therefore write to ask that you more fully investigate these allegations, not because of a desire to see Mr. Rosales prosecuted, but because the people of Arizona deserve the benefit of a proper inquiry into the factual basis of these serious claims,” wrote Kolodin.
