Olivia Cortes

Russell Pearce's Slimy Bro Lester Pearce Censured and Fined by Commission on Judicial Conduct

Irish wolfhound Tom Ryan lets the Pearces have it, and Judge Pearce nearly scraps with Dennis Gilman (@ 3:32) in this classic video from 2011 Add another scalp to the lodge wall. Recalled, disgraced former state Senate President Russell Pearce's brother, ex-supervisor's candidate and one-time Justi ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Bro Lester Pearce Faces Ethics Charges

I've rarely read a legal document so delightful. The one I've just received from the Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct indicates that Lester Pearce, former Justice of the Peace and brother of recalled ex-state Senate President Russell Pearce, now faces various charges of ethical violations, in ... More >>

Joe Arpaio-Stooge Mike Stauffer Is "Olivia Cortes on Steroids," Says Randy Parraz

See also: Stauffer Must Exit Sheriff's Race or Forever Be the Goat See also: Mike Stauffer's Third-Wheel Bid for Sheriff May Keep Arpaio in Office See also: Is Mike Stauffer Joe Arpaio's Stooge? (Answer: Yes.) See also: Joe Arpaio on the Run from Paul Penzone, Mike Stauffer the Goat in New Poll (w/U ... More >>

An AZ Latino Republican Association Leader Aided Sham Candidate Olivia Cortes

Russell Pearce's Nemesis Randy Parraz and Fellow CBA Members Blast Pearce's Personal $260K Welfare Plan

If the plot to give 12 point-loser and former state Senate President Russell Pearce $260,000 is squashed (and I'm not convinced that it has been), it will be because of the efforts of Randy Parraz and Citizens for a Better Arizona, the folks that made the Pearce recall a reality in 2011.Sure, before ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Ethically-Challenged Bro Lester Pearce Files Exploratory Committee for Supervisor Run

As unsophisticated, marble-mouthed and ham-fisted former state Senate President Russell Pearce is as a politician, his brother, Justice of the Peace Lester Pearce, makes him look like Jack Kennedy by comparison.You may recall that Judge Pearce was linked to the Tea Party plot to put sham candid ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Big Announcement on State Senate Run Comes March 19

I have just intercepted the e-mail blast below from 12-point loser, recalled ex-state Senate President Russell Pearce. According to the communication, Arizona's biggest bigot intends to make it official on March 19 regarding a run for state Senate in the newly-formed Legislative District 25.There's ... More >>

Olivia Cortes' "Pro Bono" Attorney Anthony Tsontakis Scores Legislative Gig (w/Update)

Tom Ryan, the crusading Chandler attorney who in 2011 exposed the shenanigans behind the diversionary candidacy of Russell Pearce's fave Latina Olivia Cortes, is calling foul on news that Cortes-attorney Anthony Tsontakis has just scored a plum gig working as a legal beagle for the Republican-led st ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Olivia Cortes Off The Hook in Petition Pros Scandal

Will questions about Pearce's Olivia Cortes scandal ever be answered? Not by prosecutors, it seems. Olivia Cortes, the sham candidate the Tea Party fronted in order to dilute the vote in the 2011 recall of ex-state Senate President Russell Pearce, will face no fines or orders to comply in regards to ... More >>

Russell Pearce-Worship, and Corrupt Proxy Voting at the County GOP

Why are non-loony Republicans always on the outs in the county and state GOP, with the insaniac Mexican-haters firmly in control?In her blog on Sunday, moderate Republican Paula Pennypacker described one of the main tactics of GOP county chairman Rob Haney's nativist cult: The gaming of the proxy sy ... More >>

Olivia Cortes Receives 252 Votes in Russell Pearce Recall Election

Sham candidate Olivia Cortes: 252 people actually voted for this broad!​Ousted state Senate President Russell Pearce's bag of filthy campaign tricks didn't quite have the impact he'd probably hoped -- as evident from the results of last night's unprecedented recall election.As it stands right now ... More >>

Russell Pearce Supporter Ron Ludders' Lame Robocall Targeting Democrats and Latinos

What we'll be serenading the Pearce folks with this Tuesday evening...In what smells like a classic attempt at voter suppression, the conservative Safeguard Arizona's Future PAC, which previously backed wackjob loser JD Hayworth in the 2010 Republican U.S. Senate primary, is doing robocalls to ... More >>

Prediction: State Senator Russell Pearce Will Be Kissing His Political Career Goodbye on November 8

Russell Pearce's Bro Lester Pearce, Busted

Evidence of Judge Pearce's violation of Arizona's Code of Judicial ConductThis justice, he ain't no good judge of the law. I mean Mesa Justice of the Peace Lester Pearce, brother of embattled state Senate President Russell Pearce, who apparently has abrogated Arizona's judicial code of conduct by ac ... More >>

Russell Pearce Recall: Yellow Sheet Admits Senate President Is On the Ropes

Pearce loyalist Dan Grimm: Did he commit perjury, and if so, will the MCAO hold him accountable? The Arizona Capitol Times' Yellow Sheet costs $250 per month? Crikey, that equals my liquor store tab for September. Well, almost.Which is why I won't be subscribing anytime soon to YS, the dai ... More >>

Best Reader Comment For Photo of Sham Russell Pearce Recall Candidate Olivia Cortes?

Your comment here.​Last week, we asked our readers to let us know what they would say to Senate President Russell Pearce's sham "candidate," Olivia Cortes, if they happened to bump into her somewhere and got to tell her to her face what you think of her -- and Pearce's -- sleazy attempt to manip ... More >>

Sham Russell Pearce Recall "Candidate" Olivia Cortes in Say it To Her Face

Jack KurtzWhat would you say to Olivia Cortes if she was standing right in front of you?​Every Friday, we give our readers an opportunity to sound off about current events in the form of a contest we call You Write the Caption.In honor of sham Russell Pearce recall election "candidate" Olivia Cort ... More >>

Cortes-gate Unravels, and All Arizona Needs Is a Prosecutor Willing to Do His Job

Russell Pearce's Bane Tom Ryan on Horizon, and Ryan's Co-Counsel Mike Wright's Op-Ed

State Senate President Russell Pearce and his political hatchet-bearer Constantin Querard must have Tom Ryan dolls they push pins into at night. Attorney Ryan, who brought the lawsuit that forced sham candidate Olivia Cortes out of the recall race in Legislative District 18, is coming after Pe ... More >>

Can Olivia Cortes Still Get Russell Pearce Elected Now That She's No Longer "Running" For His Seat?

​There's good news and bad news following sham state Senate candidate Olivia Cortes' announcement that she's withdrawing from the LD18 Russell Pearce recall race.For starters she's no longer a candidate (not that she was ever an actual candidate). The bad news: she hung in there long enough to kee ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Cortes Scandal: Tom Ryan Challenges the Media, Lester Pearce Flips Out

Dennis Gilman's video of Ryan's press conference yesterdayAttorney Tom Ryan was in rare form Thursday afternoon as he faced the media with his client, Mary Lou Boettcher, the plaintiff in the lawsuit against sham candidate Olivia Cortes, and his co-counsel H. Micheal Wright. The scene was Mesa's Wri ... More >>

A Court Hearing Reveals Olivia Cortes as a Bumbling Idiot

Russell Pearce's Sham Candidate, Olivia Cortes, Withdraws from LD18 Recall Race

Hours before she was to appear at a candidates' forum in Mesa and one day before a second, scheduled evidentiary hearing in Maricopa County Superior Court over her sham campaign, Olivia Cortes this morning officially withdrew her candidacy for state Senate at the Arizona Secretary of State's Office. ... More >>

Oct. 6 In Blogs: Russell Pearce, Monsterland, Braids, Blanco, and Murder

In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries:

Russell Pearce's Sham Candidate's Lawyer Seeks to Stop Friday Hearing (w/Updates)

Just when you thought you could go one day without more shenanigans from the pro-Pearce crowd, here comes Anthony Tsontakis, attorney for sham recall candidate Olivia Cortes, with a desperate appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court, seeking to halt a Friday hearing where more evidence is to be introduce ... More >>

Russell Pearce Recall: Judge to Allow New Evidence in Lawsuit Challenging Olivia Cortes

It ain't over till it's over, and the lawsuit challenging the sham recall candidacy of Olivia Cortes ain't over, yet.Though Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Edward Burke yesterday refused to remove Cortes from the ballot, on Friday at 3:30, he will allow the plaintiff's lawyers, Tom Ryan and H. ... More >>

Russell Pearce Recall: Lawyers File Emergency Motion to Delay Judge's Ruling (w/Update)

UPDATE: Judge Burke has just ruled thrown out the complaint, despite this 11th hour effort by Wright and Ryan. Will post decision shortly.UPDATE 2, 1:30 PM: You can read Burke's ruling, here.CORRECTION: The judge denied a request for a temporary restraining order. The lawsuit is still alive, th ... More >>

Russell Pearce Recall: Judge Allows Olivia Cortes to Stay on Ballot

Despite an 11th hour motion asking for a delay in a ruling in the lawsuit aimed at sham recall candidate Olivia Cortes, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Edward Burke denied the plaintiff's application for a temporary restraining order, leaving Cortes on the November 8 ballot in Legislative Distr ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Pal Constantin Querard's New Signs and Web Site

Butter wouldn't melt in Constantin Querard's mouth. Querard's one of the sleazy backers of state Senate President Russell Pearce, and as you all now know, he's suspected of being the "brains" behind the sham candidacy of recall queen-for-a-day Olivia Cortes. He also has a history in Arizona pol ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Tea Party on Trial: Olivia Cortes Plays "Useful Idiot"

Election law attorney Tom Ryan may not get Legislative District 18 recall candidate Olivia Cortes booted from the November 8 ballot, but on Thursday, with the assistance of co-counsel H. Michael Wright,  Ryan effectively put the Tea Party on trial. And at least metaphorically, the verdict was g ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Olivia Cortes Breaks Silence in ABC 15 Interview

Cortes talks to ABC 15Greg Western, Cortes' "adviser," chats with ABC 15Keep in mind as you watch these ABC 15 interviews, first with sham recall candidate Olivia Cortes, then with Cortes' "adviser" and Pearce loyalist Greg Western, that Cortes' sticking her face out the door of her humble condo is ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Olivia Cortes Will Appear in Court Thursday

Olivia Cortes, the so-called "sham" recall candidate supported by backers of state Senate President Russell Pearce, will appear in Maricopa County Superior Court tomorrow before Judge Edward Burke in a hearing to determine whether she will remain on the November 8 ballot in Legislative District 18.B ... More >>

September 28 In Blogs: Olivia Cortes, Casablance Lounge, The Zombies, Pizza Daux, and Swords

In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries:

Russell Pearce's "Sham" Candidate Olivia Cortes' Date in Court This Thursday

oliviacortes.comWill Lisa Hauser end up defending Olivia Cortes as well? I wouldn't be surprised.Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Edward Burke will preside over a hearing this Thursday in a lawsuit brought by elections law attorney Tom Ryan, alleging that Olivia Cortes' candidacy for state Senat ... More >>

Russell Pearce's "Sham" Candidate Cries "Racism" in Press Release on Sonoran Alliance

oliviacortes.comCortes, or whoever's writing her material, plays the race card Adding insult to injury, Olivia Cortes, the "sham" recall candidate whose paid petition gatherers admitted she was a pro-Russell Pearce plant meant to "dilute" the vote, is playing the race card in a press release publish ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Brother Judge Lester Pearce Campaigns for Russell Despite Ethics Rules

The judge plays defense for Pearce loyalist Pat Oldroyd at a recent LD 19 meetingLester Pearce, brother to state Senate President Russell Pearce and longtime Justice of the Pearce for the North Mesa Justice Court, allegedly has been campaigning on behalf of his embattled sibling, despite a prohibiti ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Olivia Cortes Fiasco: Complaint Shot Down by SOS, Lawsuit Will Be Filed Soon

Olivia Cortes: You've got to wonder if she expected this level of scrutiny The complaint filed by Democratic precinct committeeman and former candidate for state Senate in Legislative District 18 Robert McDonald in the ever-widening Russell Pearce/Olivia Cortes scandal has just been shot down by the ... More >>

Russell Pearce's "Sham" Candidate Olivia Cortes Sued by LD 18 Voter

Mesa resident and vote-diluter Olivia Cortes, now being sued for her candidacy Hot off the presses: A lawsuit brought by elections law attorney Tom Ryan on behalf of Legislative District 18 voter Mary Lou Boettcher, challenging the legitimacy of Olivia Cortes, the so-called "sham" recall candidate p ... More >>

Does Russell Pearce Believe in the "Holy Lie"?

Russell Pearce's Relatives and Olivia Cortes Get a Visit from Channel 12's Brahm Resnik

Bravo to Channel 12's Brahm Resnik for tonight's news segment where he pays a visit to the modest residence of Legislative District 18 recall candidate Olivia Cortes, and stops by the homes of some of state Senate President Russell Pearce's relatives to ask them why they circulated petitions for Co ... More >>

Lawyer Tom Ryan Attempts a Hail Mary Legal Pass to Boot a Fraudulent Candidate Off the Recall Ballot

Russell Pearce/Olivia Cortes Probe Requested by Ex-LD 18 Candidate

Dennis GilmanWhat did Pearce know about Olivia Cortes' candidacy? And will the Secretary of State's Office heed calls for an investigation?Below is a letter e-mailed today from Democratic precinct committeeman Robert McDonald to Arizona Elections Director Amy Bjelland requesting an investigation int ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Olivia Cortes Scandal: Video

This is part one of a video report on the shenanigans taking place at a recent Legislative District 19 GOP meeting in Mesa, which I blogged about yesterday. My colleague, videographer Dennis Gilman, will follow up with a part two, containing even juicier clips.Can anyone now doubt that Olivia Cortes ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Supporters in LD 19 Outed as Olivia Cortes Petition Gatherers, while LD 18 Stays Neutral

Dennis GilmanFormer LD 19 chair Pat Oldroyd, Cortes petition-gatherer and supporter of Russell PearceOn Thursday, while state Senate President Russell Pearce was in one part of Mesa, denying that he knows or has ever met Olivia Cortes, the candidate meant to "dilute" the vote in the upcoming Legisla ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Olivia Cortes Fiasco: Video

My compatriot Dennis Gilman put together the video above of our forays in search of the elusive Olivia Cortes, wannabe contender in the upcoming November 8 recall of state Senate President Russell Pearce in Legislative District 18.Cortes's nomination signatures were submitted to the Arizona Secretar ... More >>

Russell Pearce Supporter and Tea Party Chairman Greg Western Submits Sigs for Olivia Cortes

Tea Partier Greg Western, just after submitting signatures for putative vote-diluter Olivia CortesLike you needed more proof that Olivia Cortes' candidacy in the November 8 recall election in Legislative District 18 is all about "diluting" the vote and helping state Senate Russell Pearce beat challe ... More >>

Russell Pearce "Opponent" Olivia Cortes' Purpose to "Dilute" the Vote, Say Signature Gatherers

A lady calling herself Suzanne, gathering signatures for Olivia CortesStealth recall candidate Olivia Cortes may not want to answer her phone or come to her door, but there are apparently paid petition circulators soliciting signatures for her at the main branch of the Mesa public library, who are i ... More >>

Russell Pearce Recall Opponent Tommy Cattey Drops Out, Endorses Jerry Lewis

Tommy Cattey with wife Heidi Tommy Cattey, the Mesa resident who had filed paperwork to campaign against state Senate President Russell Pearce in the upcoming Legislative District 18 recall election, has dropped out of the race and endorsed fellow contender Jerry Lewis.Cattey, who made his announcem ... More >>

Morning Poll: Was Olivia Cortes, Candidate in Russell Pearce Recall Election, Planted by Pearce?

Olivia Cortes' Facebook pageOlivia Cortes is running in the Russell Pearce recall election. Why? Your guess is as good as ours.​Mesa Community College grad Olivia Cortes is a candidate in the recall election for the state Senate seat currently held by Senate President Russell Pearce -- and nobody ... More >>

August 4 In Blogs: Outer Space, Vegan Snacks for Babies, Katy Perry, Russell Pearce, and "Racist" Joe Arpaio

​In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs.Today's entries: