A political operative was indicted on felony charges following an investigation into unsent mailers Maricopa County Democrats paid for in 2022.
Bruce Franks Jr. faces nine charges for forgery and a 10th for theft, according to court documents. As first reported by Axios, in 2022, the Maricopa County Democratic Party paid for around 100,000 mailers to send to voters before that year's election — but they didn’t go out.
The party’s executive director, Ne’Lexia Galloway, asked Agave Strategy — the firm the organization paid for the mailers — to use Franks' printing company. Franks was Galloway’s fiancé at the time.
Galloway resigned her position following reporting on the issue.
Franks allegedly gave Agave Strategy forged documents trying to show that the mailers had been sent out, though they had not.
The county party received a refund.
Franks' first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 21.
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