State lawmakers grill Hobbs' pick to lead Arizona National Guard on ICE, vaccines, Iran

Arizona Republicans grilled Gov. Katie Hobbs’ pick to lead the state National Guard on Monday on issues like immigration enforcement, COVID-19 vaccines and war in Iran.

The state Senate is tasked with approving the governor’s agency heads. Adjutant General John Conley is the interim leader of the state department of Emergency and Military Affairs.

In a long and hostile hearing, GOP Sens. Wendy Rogers (R-Flagstaff) and Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek) questioned whether Conley can be an effective leader since he hasn’t served on the front lines during active combat.

“Have I been an infantryman on the front lines in a battle? No, I have not. But, I can take care of those infantrymen, because I have been doing this job for nearly 40 years all over the world,” Conley said.

He studied law at the University of Arizona and went on to serve as a trial counsel in Korea. He later served in a similar capacity in Germany. He was later a legal adviser to the Arizona Air National Guard and the Adjutant General. He also served as the Director of Administrative Services for DEMA in Arizona.

He maintained that his role at DEMA is apolitical.

Throughout the hearing, Hoffman repeatedly cut Conley off and accused him of trying to dodge questions by speaking in a “quibblistic” and “lawyerly” way.

During the hearing, Rogers pushed Conley to answer whether the United States is at war.

He replied that we are engaged in hostilities in Iran, but there hasn’t been an official declaration of war by Congress.

Rogers accused him of trying to dodge her question and declared that we are at war, because President Trump said so.

"You're still quibbling over definition,” Rogers told Conley.

“I'm not quibbling,” he replied. “The law is the law.”

She said she has doubts that Conley can handle leading the state’s National Guard if they have to engage in combat.

“We're doing swimmingly,” Conley told her.

Hoffman and Rogers voted against Conley, but Sen. T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge) ultimately voted with Democrats, turning the tide and recommending Conley’s confirmation.

It’s the second Director Nominations Committee hearing in a row in which Shope has voted in favor of confirming one of Hobbs’ nominees, in contrast to other Republicans on the panel.

Hobbs spokesperson Christian Slater said Conley is “well qualified and fully prepared to continue leading Arizona’s National Guard.”

Vaccines, ICE

The Department of Defense implemented COVID-19 vaccine mandates in 2021. They were later rescinded following a lawsuit in 2023.

Hoffman questioned why Conley didn’t try to protest the federal mandate before it was declared unlawful.

“Thankfully, a Republican Congress came in and forced the DOD to rescind that regulation, but it was on its face an unconstitutional overstep,” Hoffman said.

In response, Conley noted that the order was in effect for several months before it was rejected and he wasn’t leading the state agency at the time.

But Hoffman said he should have known the directive was unconstitutional and encouraged Arizona members not to comply.

Hoffman asked Conley whether ICE has asked for his department’s support, and he answered they have not.

In reply, Hoffman said he doubts that’s the truth and asked Conley whether he’d advise Hobbs to support ICE by deploying Arizona’s National Guard.

Conley said it’s not for him to make a recommendation, but that if ICE requests Arizona National Guard troops, he’ll bring the idea to Hobbs and execute her determination, since the agency is under her purview.

Senate infighting

While speaking about ICE operations, Hoffman mentioned ICE activity in the district of Sen. Analise Ortiz (D-Phoenix).

Ortiz posted on social media notifying her constituents about ICE’s presence at the time, and Hoffman filed an ethics complaint against her for undermining and doxxing law enforcement.

Ortiz interjected during the hearing and accused Hoffman of speaking without knowing the facts.

“Keep my district’s name out of your mouth,” she said.

Hoffman said multiple times that Ortiz would have to be quiet or leave and that he can permanently remove her from the committee as its chair.

Ortiz said she’d like to leave, and they continued arguing later in the hearing

“You wanna drag it out in the public, let’s drag it out in the public,” Ortiz said.

Hoffman shut Ortiz down and accused her of making things up “routinely.”