Phoenix: Rep. Abe Hamadeh Offers $10,000 Reward in Case Involving His Opponent; Her Campaign Questions His Record
The Phoenix metro area, in Maricopa County, Arizona, is the setting for this campaign dispute. Rep. Abe Hamadeh, the Republican incumbent in Arizona's 8th Congressional District, announced on October 20 a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of two men suspected of sexually assaulting his Democratic opponent, Bernadette Greene-Placentia. Greene-Placentia told sheriff's deputies she was knocked unconscious and raped while fixing campaign road signs alone in Sun City in the early hours of August 14. The case is under investigation by local law enforcement, and the two suspects remain at large.
"Nothing is more important to me than the safety and security of my constituents," Hamadeh said in a statement. "As a former prosecutor who has fought for survivors of sexual assault, I am offering a reward for information leading to the capture and arrest of the two individuals responsible for this crime." The announcement came the same day Democratic Reps. Yassamin Ansari, Melanie Stansbury and Maxine Dexter were set to hold a news conference condemning sexual violence and standing in solidarity with Greene-Placentia.
Craig Beckman, a spokesperson for Greene-Placentia's campaign, responded that Hamadeh had publicly opposed extraditing Andrew and Tristan Tate to Britain, where they face 59 charges related to rape and sex trafficking, asking why he calls for accountability in Bernadette's case while opposing the extradition of other men accused of sexual violence. The 8th District covers a large part of the northwest metro Phoenix area, including Glendale and Peoria, and is a solidly Republican district. (GSM, based on The Arizona Republic reporting)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 公有领域（美国众议院官方肖像）
