A slate of ethics investigations and resignations of Arizona lawmakers surfaced during the 2024 legislative session.

Democrats rarely had a full caucus in the House with several resignations throughout the year. 

Democratic state Rep. Leezah Sun, resigned on Jan. 31, after the House Ethics Committee determined she threatened a lobbyist from the city of Tolleson. 

Sun denied allegations that she threatened to push the lobbyist off a balcony, but she did admit to saying she would “b**** slap” the lobbyist. She also said she made the statement because she’s “expressive” and didn’t intend any malice behind it. 

“A desire to physically harm someone – by either assaulting them or throwing them over a ledge – or to take their life cannot be considered levity in any situation,” Ethics Committee members wrote in their report.

House Democrats had prepared an expulsion motion after the Ethics Committee report, but Sun resigned before any further action could be taken. 

That wasn’t the end for Sun’s political career. She challenged Sen. Eva Diaz, D- Tolleson, in the primary election but was unsuccessful. However, voters did elect Sun to the Tolleson Union High School District Governing board and she was elected chair of the LD22 Democratic precinct committee. 

LD22 also saw controversy with the representative appointed to replace Sun in Rep. Elda Luna-Nájera, D-Tolleson. 

The Tolleson Union High School District launched an investigation into Luna-Nájera, formerly the district’s Governing Board president, after district Superintendent Jeremy Calles accused her of sexual harassment toward him.

Investigators determined in September that Luna-Nájera and Calles had a consensual but “inappropriate” sexual relationship, with Luna-Nájera continuing to pursue a relationship with Calles after he had discouraged her advances.

Board members reorganized and removed Luna-Nájera as president. She was elected to the House in November, but House Democrats haven’t approached the subject with the investigation occurring out of session.

“While the report indicates their relationship was consensual we are disappointed by the lack of judgment shown by all involved. The school board has a process in place that is unfolding and we respect that process,” House Democratic leadership wrote in a statement to the investigation’s conclusion.

Former state Rep. and congressional candidate Jevin Hodge’s tenure at the Legislature was short-lived, resigning weeks after he was appointed to replace former state Rep. Athena Salman. 

Hodge’s resignation came a day after The Arizona Republic published an article detailing sexual misconduct allegations from 2015 when Hodge was a student at George Washington University. 

“I apologize now, again, to those that may have been caused pain by my actions. As a leader, I must demand more of myself,” Hodge said in a written statement when he resigned. “Public service means knowing when to lead — and it also means knowing when to step aside. As I said yesterday, I unequivocally deny the allegations made against me. However, now is not my time to lead.”

Other lawmakers saw issues with their re-election campaigns that prevented them from running in 2024’s election cycle. 

Rep. Austin Smith, R-Wittmann, withdrew his candidacy for re-election in Legislative District 29 after he was accused of forging signatures on his nomination petition in May. 

Smith denied the allegations but decided to withdraw and not defend the election challenge filed against him because he said the litigation costs would have been too high for his family. 

“I might be confident of victory, but all it would take is a judge believing any one person, and all would be lost,” Smith said in a written statement after he withdrew his candidacy. “I recently got married to an amazing woman, and we’re just starting our life together. We have our plans and aspirations, and none of them involve starting out tens of thousands of dollars in debt as a price of being involved in public service. Even if I won, I would have to pay those debts.”

House Ethics Committee Chairman Rep. Joe Chaplik, R-Scottsdale, also decided not to pursue an ethics complaint filed by Democrats against Smith and said he didn’t want the committee to engage in “speculative inquiry” weeks after plaintiffs withdrew their complaint against Smith. 

Rep. Melody Hernandez, D-Tempe, also withdrew her candidacy after an elections challenge accused her of falling short of the required signatures she needed to qualify for the ballot and noting she isn’t eligible to run due to racking up more than $1,000 in campaign finance fines.

Hernandez’s campaign owed more than $2,000 for being late in submitting campaign finance reports at the time of her decision to withdraw her candidacy. 

Other lawmakers faced ethics probes that ultimately didn’t amount to any major consequences. 

House Republicans filed ethics complaints against incoming Minority Leader Oscar De Los Santos, D-Laveen; and Rep. Analise Ortiz, D-Phoenix, when the two led an outburst on the House floor chanting “Shame!” at Republicans who delayed a vote on repealing the state’s 1864 abortion ban.

De Los Santos and Ortiz described their behavior as “passionate debate” and called the complaint an attempt by Republicans to suppress speech with which they disagreed.

The two Democrats were accused of inciting a riot on the House floor and the Ethics Committee determined they engaged in disorderly behavior, but no further action was taken by the House. 

De Los Santos would become the new leader of the House Democrats caucus and Ortiz would be elected to the Senate in her district.