Arizona Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs’ campaign is blaming GOP opponent Kari Lake for "spreading dangerous misinformation and inciting threats" after a break-in occurred at their campaign headquarters earlier this week.
"Secretary Hobbs and her staff have faced hundreds of death threats and threats of violence over the course of this campaign," campaign manager, Nicole DeMont, said in a statement posted on Twitter.
"Let's be clear: for nearly two years Kari Lake and her allies have been spreading dangerous misinformation and inciting threats against anyone they see fit," the statement continued. "The threats against Arizonans attempting to exercise their constitutional rights and their attacks on elected officials are the direct result of a concerted campaign of lies and intimidation. It won't work. Katie is running for governor to ensure the safety and security of every Arizona family. She will win this race."
Statement from our campaign on tonight's news: pic.twitter.com/OLqPMa5pYt
— Katie Hobbs (@katiehobbs) October 27, 2022
A police statement said "information was learned that items were taken from the property sometime during the night."
The Hobbs campaign released an image taken from surveillance footage showing a man in shorts walking up to the door.
Police are investigating a burglary at Katie Hobbs’ #Phoenix campaign office. Hobbs, the Democratic nominee, is in a close race against Republican Kari Lake for #Arizona governor. Hobbs' campaign released this surveillance picture. More details - https://t.co/3gmTTQW7yD. pic.twitter.com/qKYuJPc0yi
— Dan Marries (@DanMarriesKOLD) October 27, 2022
In response to reports about the incident, Lake told CNN it sounds “like a Jussie Smollett part two.”
“I can’t believe that she would blame my amazing people, blame me for something like that,” she added. “I don’t even know where her campaign office is, I’m assuming it’s in a basement somewhere because that’s where she’s been campaigning.”
Conservatives denounced the accusation from the Hobbs campaign with zero evidence to support it.
This is delusional-@katiehobbs put down the crack pipe-and publicly apologize to @KariLake for this smear. https://t.co/bayl06o4Ub
— Paul Gosar (@DrPaulGosar) October 27, 2022
Stop making accusations that you have no way whatsoever to back up. Smearing your opponent and all of her supporters is unbecoming. The last break in (or arson or some other crime the Dems don’t call a crime unless it involves them) at the Dem HQ was done by a DEMOCRAT. https://t.co/5ajnlvfWsE
— Dr. Kelli Ward 🇺🇸 (@kelliwardaz) October 27, 2022
Katie Hobbs just accused @KariLake, with zero proof, of orchestrating a break-in of her office like Watergate https://t.co/kOTgnnwuoP
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) October 27, 2022
It would've been easier to simply agree to a debate, but Hobbs chose the elaborate lie instead. https://t.co/b9HkOTfQn8
— Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) October 27, 2022