Yavapai News

Arizona Rep. Selina Bliss, along with fellow lawmakers Travis Grantham and Quang Nguyen, are calling for an investigation into the transfer of firearms to Ukraine. They have co-written a letter addressed to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell urging her to look into the matter.

"If you can't do the time, don't do the crime!" said Bliss.

The controversy stems from allegations that the city of Phoenix donated hundreds of unclaimed guns to Ukraine. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego has faced criticism over the issue, with Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes conducting an investigation that concluded the Phoenix City Council had violated state law.

Bliss and Nguyen previously wrote a letter to Gallego expressing their concerns about the transfer of unclaimed firearms to Ukraine. They suggested that the move might be considered unlawful. The proposal involved donating approximately 600 unclaimed firearms, valued at around $200,000, to the National Police in Kyiv, Ukraine.

According to the Arizona House of Representatives, lawmakers have now written to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, urging her to initiate both criminal and civil investigations against Gallego and other council members. They want to hold them accountable for the violation of state law.

"Unclaimed firearms may only be sold—not donated—and the buyer must be a 'business that is authorized to receive and dispose of the firearm under federal and state law, and that shall sell the firearm to the public according to federal and state law, unless the firearm is otherwise prohibited from being sold under federal and state law'," stated a previous letter to the Mayor and Councilmembers written by the Arizona House in July.

The lawmakers argue that the Attorney General's report and the city's repeal of its ordinance do not absolve the mayor or council members of criminal or civil liability for their misconduct. They believe there are still significant legal and factual questions that need to be addressed. The city has also refused to disclose the date the firearms were illegally sent abroad.

The letter from the lawmakers to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell is part of their ongoing efforts to hold Phoenix officials accountable for the transfer of firearms to Ukraine. They believe that if laws have been broken, those responsible should face the consequences.