According to police in local media reports, the Phoenix campaign office of Democrat governor candidate Katie Hobbs was robbed on Monday night.
Police investigated the break-in and made an arrest on Thursday. They have not announced the identity of the suspect.
The Hobbs campaign released images Wednesday that were taken from surveillance video and showed a younger man wearing shorts, a green T-shirt, and a backpack walking around inside the building.
The police did not confirm the surveillance video images, but said they were reviewing footage.
Implicit accusation
“Several items” were taken from the office during the robbery, which happened sometime “in the night,” reports said. No further reports detailed what items were taken.
The Hobbs campaign implicitly accused Republican opponent Kari Lake of being behind the burglary.
“Secretary Hobbs and her staff have faced hundreds of death threats and threats of violence over the course of this campaign. Throughout this race, we have been clear that the safety of our staff and of the Secretary is our number one priority,” Hobbs campaign manager Nicole DeMont said in a statement late Wednesday.
“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,” DeMont added. “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.”
“Absolutely absurd”
In response, Lake said the accusations were “absolutely absurd.”
“And are you guys buying that? Are you really buying that? Because this sounds like a Jussie Smollett part two,” Lake told CNN. “She’s trying to deflect from her own abysmal campaign and the fact that you know, nobody even knows where her campaign office is.”
The latest polls show Lake with a four-point lead over Hobbs, a recent development in a race where Lake has trailed until the last week or two.
Republicans in general have surged in many close congressional and gubernatorial races as Election Day nears, and Democrats are worried about exactly how much of a red wave they will face on November 8.