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The Arizona Republic reports, Arizona Senator Jake Hoffman has stepped back from a fourth investigation of Gov. Katie Hobbs and her ties to a state contractor after The Arizona Republic questioned Hoffman's work to help elect Rep. Andy Biggs, Hobbs' political opponent.

Hoffman's involvement has deepened conflict of interest questions related to the senator's political consulting work.

Hoffman's dual role raised a red flag and deserved more scrutiny so the public could be confident the investigation wasn't conducted for his own financial gain, according to Davina Hurt, director of government ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.

"These are substantial payments arriving days before the subpoenas were announced," Hurt said. "And that doesn't prove anything about the motive, again, but it makes the appearance problem hard to dismiss."

Davina Hurt, director, government ethics, quoted in an article by The Arizona Republic (paywall) and redistributed by The Fresno Bee and other outlets.