Arizona Clean Elections Commission voted 4-0 to find sufficient cause to proceed with an investigation into whether to order gubernatorial candidate Risa Lombardo to repay public funding over her $5 qualifying contributions; no repayment order issued, Aug 2026

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At its Aug 27, 2026 meeting the Citizens Clean Elections Commission heard its Executive Director, Thomas Collins, describe concerns about the $5 qualifying contributions used by three publicly funded candidates, including Risa Lombardo, a candidate for governor, who received $2.8 million in primary and general election funding. Collins said a preliminary analysis found about 5,000 unique donor names, roughly 74 percent of which appeared with more than one of the three candidates. KJZZ reported that his Aug 25 letters also said the contributions were deposited in a single lump sum shortly before the candidates applied for funding. Collins said the question was whether the candidates were entitled to the public funds they received, not a request for a penalty because fraud occurred, and that the evidence so far was preliminary. The Commission voted 4-0 that his Aug 25 letter to Lombardo provided sufficient cause to initiate proceedings, directed him to complete the investigation and report by its October meeting on whether to issue a repayment order, and authorized subpoenas. No finding that Lombardo did anything wrong has been made. Lombardo's attorney, Timothy La Sota, called the allegations "black helicopter material" and "a really far-fetched conspiracy theory" at the meeting and told KJZZ the candidates did nothing wrong and would not give the money back. KJZZ reported that the Secretary of State's Office confirmed earlier this year that Lombardo collected the required signatures. The Arizona Attorney General's Office confirmed to KJZZ on Sept 2 that it opened a criminal investigation into the three candidates over the same issue and declined further comment; no charges had been reported in the coverage reviewed. Lombardo and a co-plaintiff sued the Commission on Sept 10, 2026 (CV2026-037740). As reported by KJZZ on Sept 30, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge dismissed the suit because the investigation is ongoing and the Commission has not tried to recover any money, writing that the letters do not mean the Commission has found the candidates at fault and that it "may reject the anticipated recommendation, proceed on another ground, or take no enforcement action." The candidates then petitioned the Arizona Court of Appeals, which accepted the case on an expedited schedule; their attorney wrote that the candidates have suspended their campaigns. No repayment order has been issued as of Oct 5, 2026.

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