Anthony Kern

  

 

Seditionist and Arizona Representative Anthony Kern. Above photo taken at January 6 insurrection.
Anthony Kern is a far-right Republican extremist, a January 6 insurrectionist and a member of the State Senate beginning January 9, 2023 representing District 27. Kern a founding member of the pro-insurrectionist "Liberty Caucus". He was a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, representing District 20 in the State House of Representatives from January 5, 2015 to January 11, 2021 and in the  On January 6, 2021 he attended the Stop the Steal rally in Washington, D.C., and was present at the subsequent attack on the U.S. Capitol Building. Kern posted a video to his Twitter account which showed his attendance of the event, and in which he stated: "I will put politics aside if I never win another election. Trump, every time I heard him on TV, it was like he was my friend. Why? Because here's the President of the United States who was sticking up for little old me." Kern was among eleven Arizona Republicans who in December 2020 claimed to be "alternate electors" and signed a fraudulent certificate of ascertainment asserting Trump had won the 2020 presidential election. Republicans in six other states also signed false certificates. He later said that if vice president Mike Pence chose to certify the bogus certificates, which would exceed his constitutional authority, it would be "just a nice Constitutional lesson for all America to see." In April 2021 Kern was among the people helping to count and inspect ballots as part of the 2021 Maricopa County presidential ballot audit ordered by the state Senate, though the contract for the audit said that the ballot counters would be nonpartisan.
Arizona Legislator And Insurrectionist Files Bill To Prohibit Penalties For Frivolous Lawsuits
Arizona Republicans are batting .000 with their appeals and other filings, and where the courts have found the lawsuits frivolous, the plaintiffs and/or their attorneys have been penalized financially and/or professionally. Someone’s gotta put a stop to this! How will Republicans recruit attorneys to file their phony-baloney lawsuits if there’s a chance they might have to pay fines and court costs, or even lose their license? How will Republicans continue grifting off the Big Lie if lawyers can’t or won’t help? Enter Sen. Anthony Kern, who’s got a dog in this fight, since he, Gosar, and Finchem were ordered to reimburse Charlene Fernandez $75,000 after filing a sham defamation lawsuit. They lost because there was nothing defamatory about Fernandez’s request for the DOJ to investigate the three officials’ role in Jan. 6. Both Kern and Finchem attended the Capitol riot and have histories full of seditious statements and activities, while Rep. Gosar has often been named as a central player in planning the insurrection (Gosar ignored a Jan. 6 Committee subpoena). So this week Sen. Kern introduced a bill that, if passed, would cause the Arizona Bar Association and the Arizona Supreme Court to think twice about disciplining attorneys for filing frivolous lawsuits.
Feb. 16, 2023
As Hobbs Called For Collaboration, Some Republicans Literally Turned Their Backs
As Democratic lawmakers applauded Hobbs’ education agenda, Republican Sens. Justine Wadsack and Anthony Kern stood and turned their backs to the governor. Earlier, GOP Reps. Rachel Jones, Alexander Kolodin and Jacqueline Parker walked out of the speech. Midway through the speech, Rep. Jake Hoffman exited the House floor. “It’s unfortunate that some members chose an immature stunt instead, but we have really tough issues in front of us and we need to work together to stop them,” Hobbs said during a news conference after the speech.
Jan. 9 2023

Arizona Republicans Take Aim At Drag Queens

Laurie Roberts / Arizona Republic

Jan. 9, 2023
 
The Arizona Legislature returns to the state Capitol, ready, willing and absolutely champing at the bit to confront the most pressing issues that plague our fair state.
 
Noooo, not the need for affordable housing or the state’s dwindling supply of water or the opioids epidemic that is killing five Arizonans every day.
 
Certainly, not the crying need to improve Arizona’s public schools – the ones attended by the vast majority of our children.
 
Instead, Republican legislators are going after the newest boogeyman on the block: drag queens.
 
Seriously.
 
Senate swings into action with drag show bills
 
It’s the latest front in the far right’s culture wars, one opened last year after a gay bar in Texas hosted what was billed as a family-friendly drag queen show.
 
Republican legislators in Arizona immediately swung into action, vowing to “fight like hell to protect the most innocent from these horrifying and disturbing trends”.
 
And so comes this year’s bills to bar drag shows in places where children might see them and even to limit when such shows can occur even when kids aren’t around.
 
Senate Bill 1026 would prevent the state from funding drag shows for kids. Never mind that even the bill’s sponsor, Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, acknowledges that he knows of no instance in which the state has funded drag shows for kids.
 
SB 1028 would bar “adult cabaret” performances in public or “in any location that could be viewed by a minor”.
 
SB 1030 would limit when and where drag shows can occur.
 
No performances near schools, homes
 
And by drag show, the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale, means a performance in which men dress up as women (or vice versa) “and engage in singing, dancing or a monologue or skit in order to entertain an audience of two or more people.”
 
Specifically, a man couldn’t dress up as Marilyn Monroe and sing within a quarter mile of a daycare center, a school, a playground, a park, a house or a church.
 
Drag queens also would be barred from performing between 1 a.m. and 8 a.m. Monday through Saturday and between 1 a.m. and noon on Sunday.
 
It’s a pity Kern didn’t return a call to explain the need for his bills. I would have liked to ask him where we can view this parade of drag queens, sashaying through the streets in order supposedly corrupt our children. ...

Judge Rules 3 GOP Lawmakers Must Pay Dem's Legal Fees In Lawsuit
Yuma County Superior Court Judge Levi Gunderson said it was obvious that Charlene Fernandez, then a Democratic state representative from Yuma, had an absolute constitutional right to send a letter to federal law enforcement officials asking them to investigate the activities of state Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Oro Valley, former state Rep. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale, and Republican Congressman Paul Gosar in connection with the events around the Jan. 6 riot and breach of the U.S. Capitol. The judge said the lawsuit “was brought for an improper purpose, having been filed against a political opponent primarily for the purposes of harassment.’’ In fact, Gunderson said, the initial legal papers the trio filed were less about legal grievances and more of a political screed.
Sep. 1, 2022

These Arizona Candidates Still Say Donald Trump Won In 2020, Or They're Not Sure What Happened

The Arizona Republic

Jul. 15, 2022
 
Elected officials and candidates for office in 2022 continue to challenge and question the results of the 2020 presidential election in Arizona.
 
The results have been examined and re-examined, challenged in court and in a monthslong ballot review. No evidence has been found of widespread fraud or error in the results.
 
Yet candidates deny the outcome. Others don't quite go as far. But they raise questions about potential irregularities they say could have influenced the vote and should be examined.
 
The Arizona Republic is listing candidates by category by the race that they are entered in. This list is not complete and will be updated throughout the 2022 election season.
 

Election deniers
These candidates in Arizona races deny that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, either in Arizona or nationwide.
 
US Senate

US House of Representatives

Governor

Secretary of state

Attorney general

Treasurer

  • Bob Lettieri, Republican

Arizona Corporation Commission

State Senate

State House of Representatives

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors

No, Mark Zuckerberg Did Not Personally Gift Millions To Sway Arizona's Elections

Feb. 8, 2022
 
Former Arizona lawmaker and current state senate candidate Anthony Kern wants you to think Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg gave millions to Katie Hobbs during the 2020 election.
 
Except, Zuckerberg did not.
 
"Maricopa County Supervisors and Katie Hobbs took $3 million each from Zuckerberg during the 2020 election," Kern tweeted on Monday. "Why?"
 
The misleading tweet had racked up nearly 6,000 likes and hundreds of outraged comments by the afternoon.
 
But Kern — a staunch believer in November 2020 presidential election conspiracies who used campaign funds to travel to the January 6 riots — did not offer any more information.
 
Kern did not return a phone call or email from Phoenix New Times seeking comment.
 
But it's clear that Kern's insinuations of misconduct about the November 2020 election are unfounded.
 
"Unequivocally, no," said Murphy Hebert, communications director at the Arizona Secretary of State. "We did not receive $3 million dollars from Mark Zuckerberg."
It Sure Looks Like This Arizona Republican Used Campaign Cash To Attend Jan. 6 Riot
"It’s no secret that Anthony Kern, who is running for state Senate in Arizona, went to Washington for the infamous “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021. He even posted an image of his flight on Facebook. But according to new campaign finance data, it appears that he also used campaign money to fund the trip. Last week, Kern — a former GOP state representative who lost reelection in 2020 — submitted campaign finance data to the Arizona Board of Elections that raises additional questions about his conduct leading up to the U.S. Capitol riot."
Jan. 25, 2022

Trump-Supporting Arizona Politicians Push Election Lies At Florence Rally
 
Kari Lake, a former TV anchor who's running for governor, began her speech with the theme of some of the other speakers, praising America under Trump and listing its problems under Biden. As did others, she called Trump “president” and slammed the 2020 election as “rotten to the core."
[...]
We are so blessed to have Donald Trump with us here today. We know the election was stolen,” state Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, said when she took the stage, echoing the sentiments of other speakers and crowd members, who cheered her in response.
[...]
Like-minded Trump supporters in the Legislature included speakers at Saturday's rally such as Rogers, Sen. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Oro Valley, Sen. Sonny Borrelli, R-Lake Havasu City, and former representative Anthony Kern, who's running for the state Senate.
[...]
"They attacked Donald Trump because he exposed them and their evil deeds,” said Finchem, who's running for Arizona secretary of state, a position that oversees state elections.
[...]
On Dec. 14, 2020, Kern and 10 other Arizonans, including state GOP Chair Kelli Ward and Rep. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, signed a document that was sent to Congress. All 11 people were listed on the general election ballot as the would-be electors for Trump.
[...]
Borrelli pushed back on the fact that the belief in widespread election fraud that stole the presidency from Trump in 2020 was a “conspiracy theory.” He said there was indeed a conspiracy, but he claims "it’s not a theory.” He said the problem was “obstructionists” who oversee elections at the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office and in Maricopa County. Borrelli said that many of his peers in the Arizona House and Senate were behind him and other election deniers and that they were going to “tighten up the loopholes that these commie (expletive) have exploited.” The crowd cheered as Borrelli claimed that the “shamestream media” were hiding facts like “ghost voters” he said were found to have voted in Pima County in 2020. Pima County election officials deny there were any widespread problems with the election.
[...]
Arizona Republican U.S. Reps. Debbie Lesko, Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar, the latter two national leaders in the spread of falsehoods over the 2020 election, also spoke at the rally

Jan. 16, 2022
4 Arizona Politicians At Heart Of Jan. 6 Events Continue On Same Path
The four Republicans who ... circulated baseless conspiracy theories about a 2020 Donald Trump presidential victory in Arizona and pushed for the Senate's partisan audit of Maricopa County's election results are continuing on the same path more than a year later. [...] U.S. Reps. Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar, state Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Oro Valley, and former Representative Anthony Kern, R-Glendale, were at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, encouraging the overturn of election results.
Dec. 8, 2021
A Day After Audit Announcements, Small Group Rallies In Support Of Jan. 6 Insurrection At U.S. Capitol
Though the crowd at Arizona's Capitol on Saturday was small, a number of politicians spoke, including congressional candidate Jeff Zink, state Rep. Walter Blackman and former state Rep. Anthony Kern.
Sep. 25, 2021
Ex-Lawmaker Who Rallied For 'Stop The Steal' Removed From Arizona Audit
May 14, 2021
Where Was Anthony Kern On Jan. 6?
May 5, 2021

Photo: CNN                                     

Apr. 30, 2021
Arizona State Republicans In Washington During Capitol Invasion Refuse To Turn Over Phone Records
Arizona courts have ruled that records on a public official's private device can be considered a public record if those records relate to public business and the phone was used for a public purpose.
Jan. 26, 2021

Trump Insurrection - January 6, 2021 - U.S. Capitol Building, Washington D.C.

 

Seditionist and past Arizona Representative Anthony Kern
Arizona Republicans Back Texas AG’s Attempt To Overturn Election
Arizona state Reps. Nancy Barto, Frank Carroll, John Fillmore, Mark Finchem, Travis Grantham, Anthony Kern, Steve Pierce, Bret Roberts and Kelly Townsend, and Sens. Sylvia Allen, Sonny Borrelli, David Gowan and David Livingston signed onto the amicus brief.
Dec. 10, 2020
What Ever Happened To Them: Arizona Election Edition
Nov. 9, 2020
AZ GOP State Rep. Anthony Kern Killed Legislation To Protect Arizona Workers
Aug. 12, 2020
Center for Arizona Policy
2020 Survey Questions For Arizona Candidates
Position Sought: State Representative LD-20
Question 2: Adding “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” or “gender expression” to the protected classes of race, religion, age, sex, and ancestry in nondiscrimination law.
Candidates' Position: Oppose.
Question 4: Allowing biological males that identify as transgender to play on female sports’ teams.
Candidates' Position: Oppose
Question 9: Protecting a parent's right to seek professional counseling for their minor child with same-sex attraction or gender identity issues to help them reach their desired outcome.*
Candidates' Position: Support
Question 11: Protecting individuals and businesses from being required to provide services or use their artistic expression in a manner that violates their moral or religious beliefs.**
Candidates' Position: Support.
*  This is in reference to the dangerous and disproven "Reparative Therapy".
**Discriminatory "Religious Freedom" laws.
GOP Lawmaker Stands By Deleted Tweet Mocking Order To Close Bars And Restaurants
 

Photo: Twitter                                         

Minutes after the 8 p.m. deadline took effect on Tuesday, Rep. Anthony Kern posted a picture on Twitter asking, "do you know where Phoenix Mayor (Kate Gallego) is."Sens. Sonny Borrelli, David Gowan, and Rep. Mark Finchem stood with Kern as the four smiled and pointed at a clock inside a restaurant. Kern later deleted the tweet because he said another member of the legislature asked him to, but he would not say who.
Mar. 19, 2020
As Coronavirus Spreads In Arizona, Some Members Of Legislature Show Less Concern Than Others
Mar. 18, 2020

 
HB 2706 - Vote to pass a bill that prohibits transgender female students from participating in school sports, from kindergarten through college, in private and public schools.
GOP Lawmaker Says God — Not Gun Laws — Will End School Shootings
Arizona state Rep. Anthony Kern also said he thinks 'red flag' laws will let anyone disarm their rivals.
Dec. 19, 2019
State Rep. Anthony Kern: 'Do You Want LGBTQ Rights To Take Over?'
Dec. 12, 2019
Arizona Republican Lawmaker Compares The Needy To Parasitic Birds
 
Jun. 4, 2016
Kern Spurns Sex Abuse Victims In House Committee Hearing
May 20, 2019
Brownies’ Project Provokes GOP Leader Attack
An Ahwatukee Girl Scout Brownie Troop of third graders may one day learn the lesson in Arizona hardball politics that their environmental project triggered.
Apr. 24, 2019
Ethics Complaint Alleges Arizona Rep. Anthony Kern Violated State Constitution
Rep. Anthony Kern violated the Arizona Constitution when he simultaneously worked as a lawmaker and a Tombstone marshal for about two years.
Apr. 11, 2019
Arizona Rep. Anthony Kern Accused Of Making Offensive Comments To Female Subordinates In 2010
Mar. 29, 2019
Fired From Police Job For Lying, Arizona Lawmaker Tried To Help Cops Who Lie
Mar. 5, 2019
Center for Arizona Policy
2018 Candidate Questionnaire
Position Sought: State Representative LD-20
Question 4: Adding “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” or “gender expression” to the protected classes of race, religion, age, sex, and ancestry in nondiscrimination law.
Candidates' Position: Oppose.
Question 9: Protecting a parent’s right to seek professional counseling for their minor child with same– sex attraction or gender identity issues to help them reach their desired outcome.*
Candidates' Position: Support.
*  This is in reference to the dangerous and disproven "Reparative Therapy".
Crazy/Stupid Republican Of The Day: Anthony Kern
Apr. 25, 2018
The State Bar's Mission Is Clear
Jan. 18, 2018
Representative Anthony Kern Applauds President Trump Executive Order To Reverse Obama Climate Change Policies
Mar. 29, 2017
The Passengers Curse Under New Arizona Bill
Feb. 8, 2017
Arizona Bills Would Ban Coverage For Gender-Reassignment Surgeries Already Denied By State
Jan. 24, 2017
Center for Arizona Policy
2016 Survey Questions For Arizona Candidates
Position Sought: State Senate LD-20
Question 4: Adding "sexual orientation," "gender identity," or "gender expression" to the protected classes of race, religion, age, sex, and ancestry in nondiscrimination law.
Candidates' Position: Oppose.
Question 6: Prohibiting government from discriminating against an individual, organization, or small business based on their beliefs about marriage.*
Candidates' Position: Support.
Question 10: Implementing policies to allow students and faculty to use the restroom, locker room, and shower room that aligns with their gender identity.
Candidates' Position: Oppose.
* Discriminatory "Religious Freedom" laws.
Arizona Senate Committee Passes Bill To Reject Any New Federal Gun Control Over Heavy Opposition
Mar. 15, 2016
New "Andrew Thomas Revenge Bill" Aims To Gut State Bar Of Arizona
Click here for details on Andrew Thomas.
Mar. 4, 2016
Arizona Lawmaker Incorrectly Claims Status As Peace Officer
Mar. 14, 2015
Center for Arizona Policy
2014 Candidate Questionnaire
Position Sought: State Senate LD-20
Question 9: Arizona’s voter-approved constitutional definition of marriage should be defended to the fullest extent legally possible.
Candidates' Position: Support
Question 11: Adding “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” or “gender expression” to the protected classes of race, religion, age, sex, and ancestry in antidiscrimination law.
Candidates' Position: Oppose
Question 15: Protecting individuals and businesses from being required to provide services or use their artistic expression in a manner that violates their moral or religious beliefs.*
Candidates' Position: Support
* Discriminatory "Religious Freedom" laws.

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