Flagstaff, Tempe or Chandler? Questions arise about state Sen. Wendy Rogers' residence
A recent campaign finance report is again bringing up questions about whether Republican state Sen. Wendy Rogers lives in the rural Arizona district she was elected to represent.
As reported first by KJZZ radio, an April campaign finance report showed Rogers' campaign reimbursed her for travel costs and had the check sent to a Tempe address.
She was elected in 2022 to represent Legislative District 7, which includes portions of Coconino, Navajo, Gila and Pinal counties, but not the Phoenix metro. On campaign documents filed to the secretary of state, Rogers says she lives in a Flagstaff mobile home community within the district, which she lists as her primary residence.
Rogers had reimbursements sent to Tempe address since 2021
According to the report, the campaign reimbursed Rogers $19,209 for mileage, lodging and fuel with a date of January 12, 2024. However, property records show the house the check was sent to was sold by both Rogers and her husband last year.
This was not the first time Rogers had sent reimbursements to the Tempe address. The Arizona Republic found at least six previous reimbursements sent to the Tempe address totaling more than $50,000.
In a report covering 2021 filed in January 2022, Rogers' campaign sent three different checks to the Tempe address totaling more than $6,000 in travel and mileage reimbursements.
An October 2022 campaign finance report lists the Tempe address on a reimbursement of $11,690 for mileage and travel expenses. The reimbursement was dated Aug. 12, 2022.
A January 2023 campaign finance report shows the same Tempe address was sent a check for a reimbursement of $14,438 for mileage, air travel & travel expenses. That reimbursement was dated November 18, 2022, two weeks after being reelected to her rural district.
In 2020, Rogers listed a Flagstaff address for a $4,000 reimbursement instead of the Tempe address used in the following years. When she launched her first campaign for state Senate in 2019, Rogers sent five different checks to the same Flagstaff address, totaling more than $7,000 for mileage reimbursement.
In January 2023 it was reported that Rogers and her husband purchased a home in Chandler, and said they were “currently residing” at a home in Tempe that they had previously lived in. Both Chandler and Tempe are not in Rogers' district.
'Don't come out and carpetbag in rural Arizona', primary opponent says
Republican David Cook, who is running against Rogers in GOP primary for the state Senate seat in District 7, said she should come clean about her primary residence.
"I don't like carpetbaggers, I want honesty and I'm from here and I'm for here," Cook said. "If she wants to live in Chandler like she does I've got no problem with that, but don't come out and carpetbag in rural Arizona with falsehoods or pretend that you live or care about us."
Property records show that Rogers and her husband sold their Tempe home in April 2023 to a company owned by Ohio resident Vincent Abel. The Capitol Times also reported that Abel owned a plane that Rogers owned until 2017. Rogers served in the Air Force from 1976 to 1996.
Jennifer Guzman, program director for Common Cause Arizona, said it's important for candidates to be clear about where they live.
"Arizonans deserve to have candidates that live in their district no matter what and no matter what their party or affiliation may be," Guzman said. "Arizonans deserve to have transparency."
Rogers did not respond to The Republic's request for comment Thursday afternoon.
She has previously denied allegations that she lives outside of her district. Rogers sought a court order to stop a Capitol Times reporter from investigating her residency in 2023, which was denied by a Flagstaff judge.
Republic reporter Mary Jo Pitzl contributed to this report.
Reach reporter Fernando Cervantes Jr. at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Sen. Wendy Rogers' residence questioned once again
