Katie Hobbs‘ dispute erupted after she was accused of racial discrimination against her employees. Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs began this year’s governor’s race as the overwhelming favorite among Democrats. Hobbs is most known in the United States for opposing former President Donald Trump’s allegations of election fraud. Her action in terminating a team member seven years ago, on the other hand, jeopardizes her campaign in a purple state that Democrats hope would turn blue in the 2018 election.
When Katies Hobbs was the Democratic Leader in the state Senate in 2015, she had a problem with terminating the lone Black policy staff member. Hobbs’ stance and subsequent statements about it have sparked debate among Black leaders in the state, putting her support from a critical constituency at risk as she faces a difficult election year in a form that President Joe Biden won by fewer than 11,000 votes.
According to five Black leaders who talked with CNN, the lawsuit has been especially impactful in Arizona because of the state’s history of discrimination against voters of color, which has been exacerbated by Trump and his supporters’ efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. This is true despite Black people’s historical exclusion from the labor force.
Katie Hobbs Controversy: Was She Involved In Racial Discrimination?
Katie Hobbs faced criticism during the Democratic campaign for governor for firing an African-American policy advisor in 2015. The attacks have only become worse throughout the general election campaign, especially on social media. Hobbs’ opponents, on the other hand, propagated false information about “convictions,” criminal allegations, and millions of dollars in government payments. Hobbs was the Democratic minority leader in the Texas Senate at the start of 2015. She was elected Secretary of State in 2018.
Talonya Adams, a lawyer, was the Democratic Party’s sole African-American policy advisor on staff and in the Capitol. Adams was dismissed in February 2015, allegedly for complaining about being paid less than her white colleagues.
Why Was Katie Hobb Charged?
Hobbs was found not guilty on all counts. Criminal charges were not filed. While serving as her attorney in federal court, Adams would file and win two civil cases claiming sex and racial discrimination. The lawsuit was filed against the Arizona State Senate. Hobbs was not named as a defendant. However, Hobbs, her chief of staff, and the leader of the Senate Republicans’ team in charge of Senate operations all testified.
During the second trial, Hobbs testified that she had “lost trust” in Adams, in part because Adams took an urgent leave of absence to care for her child out of state. Numerous critics of Hobbs claim that taxpayers have paid millions of dollars as a result of a court judgment. Adams was found to be a victim of racial and sexual discrimination and retaliation by a second jury last year, and she was granted $2.75 million in damages. However, federal law limits the amount of damages to $30,000 per incident. After accounting for past pay and delayed benefits, the court awarded Adams $353,000 in damages.
