Katie Hobbs Bans Reporters From Attending Her Swearing In

(UnitedVoice.com) – Democrat Katie Hobbs won the race for Arizona governor last year. She beat Republican Kari Lake, a former news anchor, by a margin of 50.3% to 49.6%. On Monday, January 2, Hobbs took the oath of office — and immediately annoyed some in the press.

Hobbs’ swearing-in ceremony took place at 10 a.m. at the state Capitol. Federal Judge Roopali H. Desai, recently confirmed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, presided over the ceremony instating the new governor into office. Hobbs allowed a media pool reporter with the Associated Press into the event to document it. However, she banned other members of the media from the room.

Stacey Barchenger, a reporter who covers the governor’s office for Arizona Central and USA Today, posted about the press lockout on Twitter. She said they repeatedly asked officials to allow them into the office to watch the ceremony, but officials refused them access.

New year, new leadership in Arizona, new stakeouts because reporters aren’t allowed into the 10 a.m. swearing in of incoming Gov. @katiehobbs. Here’s @Adrian_Fontes arriving for the joint swearing in. pic.twitter.com/ArWf8aWWfE

— Stacey Barchenger (@sbarchenger) January 2, 2023

Laurie Roberts, a journalist for The Arizona Republic, wrote an article entitled “Gov. Katie Hobbs is sworn in while hiding from reporters.” The reporter slammed the new governor for her decision to ban the press from the event, joking that nobody would have known it took place unless they were fans of Facebook. She pointed out the irony that Hobbs vowed to be transparent but immediately refused to allow them to witness the event. Apparently, being a hypocrite is part of the new governance in the state.

While the press wasn’t allowed to attend the ceremony on Monday, there was a separate event on Thursday, January 5. Special interest groups haven’t disclosed the cost they paid for that affair, creating another controversy.

The swearing-in ceremony marked the end of a dramatic race filled with drama and accusations of fraud. Kari Lake lost her lawsuits attempting to overturn Hobbs’ win.