‘Moderate’ AG’s office turned to groups that spent years suing prisons for recruiting help: emails reveal
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’ chief deputy, Daniel Barr, sought help from the ACLU and Prison Law Office in finding lawyers for corrections-related roles, including the Arizona prison system’s general counsel, emails show. The requests have drawn attention because Barr had previously litigated alongside both groups in a case that led a judge to find the state’s prison conditions constitutionally inadequate, while Mayes describes herself as a moderate.
The emails quoted in the article show Barr asking the groups for candidate recommendations in February and April 2023, then following up when the general counsel position remained unfilled. Both organisations advocate reducing incarceration and have worked on prison conditions. Mayes’ campaign manager said the ACLU has also sued Mayes over policies and highlighted her support for law enforcement; Mayes settled one lawsuit over restrictions on filming police.
- Daniel Barr asked two advocacy groups to recommend lawyers for Arizona corrections roles.
- He had previously litigated alongside both groups in a prison conditions case.
- Mayes’ campaign says she has also opposed the ACLU in court.