Record
Here’s what Brnovich has done fighting every day for Arizonans.
Challenged Dangerous Border Policies
Arizonans deserve safety and security in their communities and along the southern border. Ensuring that security is one of the proper roles of elected officials. As Attorney General, Mark Brnovich has led the fight against the failed border policies of the Biden Administration that are violating existing law and putting human lives at risk.
- Challenged the Biden Administration’s initial 100-day pause on deportations and subsequent “interim guidance” that presumptively halts nearly all deportations outside of three narrow categories.[1]
- Filed a lawsuit against the Biden Administration’s halting of border wall construction. The halt violates the National Environmental Policy Act. Case ongoing.[2]
- Led a coalition of states to defend the Public Charge Rule (ensuring non-citizens can financially support themselves before becoming U.S. citizens) after the Biden Administration refused to defend it.[3]
- Intervened to defend “Migrant Protection Protocols” (the “Remain in Mexico” Policy) when the Biden Administration abandoned it.[4]
- Wrote a letter strongly urging the Biden Administration to cease converting a Scottsdale hotel to an ICE detention center.[5]
Advocated for Taxpayers
Government has a natural appetite for growth and sucking more and more from citizens. As Attorney General, Mark Brnovich has led on protecting taxpayers from unconstitutional tax mandates, most recently under the Biden Administration.
- Took the Biden Administration to court over tax mandate in the latest COVID-19 relief bill (American Rescue Plan Act). In progress.[1]
- Sued Arizona Board of Regents over skyrocketing college tuition rates that were making it increasingly difficult for Arizonans to attend college.[2]
- Won a unanimous decision from the Arizona Supreme Court striking down unlawful in-state tuition for DACA recipients and upholding the will of Arizona voters.[3]
- Sued Arizona Board of Regents for a multi-million-dollar gift clause violation, alleging ASU used its tax-exempt land to give Omni Hotels a sweetheart property deal, harvesting tax dollars while Arizona taxpayers got nothing, and tuition rates continued to skyrocket.[4]
Defended Arizona’s Election Integrity
Arizonans must be able to trust that their elections are secure and their votes count. At the office of Attorney General, we’ve been defending Arizona’s election integrity long before it was cool. For years, the left has been challenging our election laws and third-party groups have recently used COVID-19 to circumvent the legislative process. That’s why we have to be vigilant.
- Stood up to the Democratic National Committee in court to defend Arizona’s common-sense laws restricting ballot harvesting and out-of-precinct voting.[1] The case is pending at the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Established the Election Integrity Unit back in 2019 for “vigorously defending our state’s common-sense election laws and prosecuting anyone who is found to have committed voter fraud.”[2]
- Defended Arizona’s election integrity laws when other elected officials would not.[3]
- Stood up to radical measures that sought to override the constitution and undermine election integrity – like a challenge to force the acceptance of electronic signatures rather than in-person signatures to place sweeping out-of-state funded laws on the ballot.
- Intervened and prevented the “curing” of ballots with no signatures prior to the 2020 election.[4]
- Obtained a restraining order stopping Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes from illegally mailing thousands of ballots to voters who didn’t request them.[5]
- Prosecuted voters who committed election fraud – like double voting[6] – and went after suspected Yuma ballot harvesters.[7]
[1] Brnovich v. DNC
[2] https://www.azag.gov/criminal/eiu
[3] https://www.azag.gov/criminal/eiu
[4] Arizona Democratic Party v Hobbs
[5] https://www.azag.gov/sites/default/files/docs/press-releases/2020/motions/State_v_Fontes_TRO_Certified_Signed.pdf
[6] The State of Arizona vs. Randy Allen Jumper
[7] State of Arizona v. Alma Yadira Juarez and Guillermina Fuentes
Took on Burdensome Regulations
Government shouldn’t be picking winners and losers. You should have the freedom to run your business, earn a living, and conduct your life with minimal government interference. But all too often, the government overreaches.
As Attorney General, Mark Brnovich has always believed in achieving a light regulatory touch, and he has fought on behalf of citizens and businesses against unduly burdensome regulations. In response, business and innovation have thrived in Arizona.
- Created first-in-the-nation FinTech Sandbox to allow new financial businesses to test concepts and ideas in Arizona’s market before facing regulatory burdens that could stifle developing innovation.[1]
- Challenged Biden Administration’s regulatory carbon policy – a back door Green New Deal. The policy requires regulations to be implemented or removed based on the “social costs of carbon”, which would prohibit good rules and necessitate horrific ones.[2]
- Successfully stopped a serial litigator who was harassing businesses with baseless copy-and-paste lawsuits for ADA infractions. The litigator was disbarred.[3]
Went to Bat for Consumers
Mark Brnovich believes in fighting for consumers, not attorneys. He went toe-to-toe with some of the largest entities and corporations to get restitution for Arizonans who were the victims of fraud. As Arizona’s Attorney General, Brnovich has returned over $200 million to consumers, a record amount and more than the previous three AGs combined.
- Recovered $24 million in restitution from APS after a lack of transparency led to Arizonans misunderstanding plan benefits and overpaying for their utilities.
- Got over $15 million in restitution for Arizona consumers who bought certain General Motors and Volkwagen vehicles with safety defects.
- Got millions in debt relief for Arizona students who lost money to failed schools such as ITT Tech, Argosy University, and Collins College.
- Fought for $1.9 million for Arizona CenturyLink customers who were not given discounts promised by the company.
- Secured refunds for the more than 76,000 Arizonans who used Theranos tests. As a result, these Arizonans were able to recover all out-of-pocket costs from the fraudulent tests.
- Ensured trial lawyers don’t get more restitution than victims by intervening in more than a dozen class action lawsuits under the Class Action Fairness Act.
Defended the Second Amendment
The right to keep and bear arms is constantly under assault. But it remains as vital to our freedom as it did when the Bill of Rights was adopted over 200 years ago. Under Attorney General Brnovich, Arizona has led in defending the Second Amendment rights of Americans in states across the country.
- Fought back against California’s ban on high-capacity magazines. Case pending.[1]
- Led multi-state effort arguing New York’s law requiring “proper cause” to carry a gun outside your home is unconstitutional. Awaiting SCOTUS hearing. [2]
- Led a challenge to a Massachusetts law that effectively prohibited citizens from carrying a gun outside their home for self-defense.[3]
- Led multi-state brief challenging New Jersey’s unconstitutional high-capacity magazine ban.[4]
- Joined a brief challenging Hawaii’s ban on open carry of firearms.[5]
- Led a multi-state brief challenging a D.C. restriction requiring residents to prove a special need to carry a gun. The restriction was struck down.[6]
- Signed a letter opposing the Biden Administration’s appointment of a radical anti-Second Amendment nominee to lead the ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms) agency.[7]
Protected Life
One of the most basic functions of law and government is to protect innocent human life at every stage. But once again, this isn’t a political platitude for Mark Brnovich. He’s actively fought to defend life in the courts. As Attorney General, Brnovich weighed in on a dozen pro-life cases.
- Led a 20-state brief supporting the right of Kentucky’s Attorney General to defend the state’s law banning barbaric dismemberment abortions (case pending)[1] and joined similar efforts in Alabama and Texas.[2]
- Defended Arizona’s pro-life laws against a lawsuit from Planned Parenthood –which the abortion giant ultimately dropped.[3]
- Joined briefs supporting laws in Indiana and Arkansas that protect pre-born children with disabilities from being singled out for abortion based on their disability.[4]
- Led 20-state brief to protect law enforcement investigative powers by opposing a gag order on investigative journalist David Daleiden for his undercover Planned Parenthood videos.[5]
Fought for Religious Freedom
You should be able to freely and peacefully live out your beliefs in every part of your life. Mark Brnovich believes the freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment must be vigilantly defended. This has become more necessary on a daily basis as the Federal government continues its overreach into the lives of Americans.
Arizona didn’t just have a role in defending religious freedom across the country – under Mark Brnovich as Attorney General, Arizona led.
As Attorney General, Brnovich weighed in on more than a dozen cases in courts across the country to defend the First Amendment.
- Released a legal opinion during COVID-19 clarifying that church attendance is clearly an “essential activity” under the Governor’s Executive Order.[1]
- Led a 13-state effort on behalf of a football coach who lost his job after he knelt and said a quiet prayer at midfield after football game. The case is still being litigated.[2]
- Co-led an 18-state effort to protect the rights of religious schools to be given equal access to school choice tax credits. The religious schools ultimately won at the US Supreme Court.[3]
- Led multi-state efforts to protect the expressive speech of artists in Arizona and Colorado. The Arizona artists won their case at the Arizona Supreme Court. The Colorado case is still being litigated.[4]
Stood up for Israel
Israel is a key ally of the United States. As Attorney General, Mark Brnovich led the effort to ensure taxpayer-funded contracts do not go to anti-Semitic organizations seeking to boycott Israel.
- Led 16 state coalition to defend Arkansas’ law prohibiting the state from subsidizing boycotts of Israel.[1]
- Defended Arizona’s law prohibiting state-funded contractors from boycotting Israel.[2]
