Morgan Fischer

Insurrectionist Brunch: Trumpists plotted to deploy military on U.S. soil Before the 2024 election, a cadre of MAGA loyalists met over brunch to plot ways for Trump to use the military domestically.

NEW: Two years ago, over brunch, Trumpists working under Project 2025 began plotting ways for Trump to deploy the military on U.S. soil. Election-denier Jeffrey Clark suggested invoking the Insurrection Act.

We have their files. Welcome to the Insurrectionist Brunch:

Phoenix police arrested wrong man for 2024 hit-and-run, lawsuit says Charges were later dropped against Little Joe Lageman, who says police did shoddy police work and ignored other suspects.

Phoenix police arrested Little Joe Lageman in 2024 for a hit-and-run. They dropped the charges a year later.

He's now suing, claiming they arrested the wrong guy, chipped his teeth during the arrest and never considered other suspects.

By @morgfisch.bsky.social:

Ex-mobster Sammy the Bull accused of sexually assaulting employee A woman who worked for Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano says he forcibly kissed her, talked about his penis and threatened her.

Former mobster Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano allegedly sexually assaulted an ex-employee of his production company.

She says he forcibly kissed her, bragged about his erection and once had her collect his feces for a stool sample.

By @morgfisch.bsky.social:

GOP state senator ditched committee hearing to go on talk radio show A senate committee was ready to hear Sen. John Kavanagh's controversial bill against ICE alerts. No one knew where he was.

Yesterday, state Sen. John Kavanagh left a committee hearing in which his bill against ICE alerts was to be heard.

The chair, Wendy Rogers, didn't know where he was. Then state Sen. Analise Ortiz showed her a livestream of Kavanagh on talk radio.

By @morgfisch.bsky.social:

ICE wants to send detained Tempe man to his death in Iran, lawyer says The lawyer for Tempe resident Mehrzad Eidivand says he faces an execution order in Iran. ICE wants to send him there anyway.

If a 41-year-old Tempe resident detained by ICE is sent back to his home country of Iran, he will be executed, his attorney says. But the agency appears deadset on deporting him there anyway.

Latest for @phoenixnewtimes.com
www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/detaine...

A Republican wants to jail you for saying ICE is in your neighborhood State Sen. John Kavanagh wants to outlaw even blowing whistles because ICE is near. But about that freedom of speech thing...

Once again: Reporting, whistling, broadcasting, yelling and posting about the public activities of law enforcement is protected speech.

If ICE isn't a secret police force, as MAGA types insist, then its broad-daylight doings sure ain't secret, either.

By @morgfisch.bsky.social:

A Republican wants to jail you for saying ICE is in your neighborhood State Sen. John Kavanagh wants to outlaw even blowing whistles because ICE is near. But about that freedom of speech thing...

An Arizona lawmaker wants to criminalize people who alert others about the presence of ICE in their communities. It's a broad, far-reaching proposal that likely violates the First Amendment.

Read the full story @phoenixnewtimes.com
www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arizona...

Stanton demands answers from ICE on detention center measles outbreak Three measles cases have been linked to ICE detention centers in Florence in recent weeks. ICE has seen big outbreaks before.

Measles has found its way into ICE's detention facilities in Arizona. Four Democratic members of the state's congressional delegation are demanding answers.

An exclusive for @phoenixnewtimes.com
www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arizona...

Video: GOP lawmaker’s rape question derails Arizona Senate hearing During a hearing about a border wall bill, GOP state Sen. Janae Shamp asked a civilian speaker a graphic question about rape.

“Do you know what it’s like to be in the operating room with a 23-year-old woman who’s been tied to a tree and raped so much you can’t tell the difference between her vagina and her anus?"

A graphic Janae Shamp question derailed a state senate hearing. By @morgfisch.bsky.social:

Public health officials in Maricopa County identified a confirmed measles case today. The county resident traveled internationally.

This is amid Arizona's measles outbreak based in Mohave County, which has seen 217 cases since it began in August.

Sinema seduced bodyguard and ruined his marriage, lawsuit claims An explosive lawsuit claims Kyrsten Sinema put the moves on a member of her security detail and pushed him to try MDMA.

The wife of Kyrsten Sinema's bodyguard is suing the former Senator for breaking up her marriage.

Last year, Sinema spoke with @phoenixnewtimes.com about the man as her inspiration behind her advocacy for a bill to fund psychedelic drug research in Arizona.
www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arizona...

Sinema seduced bodyguard and ruined his marriage, lawsuit claims An explosive lawsuit claims Kyrsten Sinema put the moves on a member of her security detail and pushed him to try MDMA.

Just amazing to realize we already had the perfect picture for this story on Kyrsten Sinema allegedly seducing her bodyguard and ruining his marriage.

From @morgfisch.bsky.social:

Sinema seduced bodyguard and ruined his marriage, lawsuit claims An explosive lawsuit claims Kyrsten Sinema put the moves on a member of her security detail and pushed him to try MDMA.

An explosive lawsuit claims Kyrsten Sinema put the moves on a member of her security detail and pushed him to try MDMA.

Ansari wants to abolish for-profit immigration detention centers "There is no accountability for these for-profit detention centers under Donald Trump. They don’t care about these people."

EXCLUSIVE: Ahead of her reelection launch today, I spoke with
@repyassansari.bsky.social to reflect on her first year.

Ending private, for-profit ICE detention centers is a top priority for Ansari, who has witnessed their "horrific" conditions firsthand.
www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arizona...

Cochise Cronyism: An Arizona sheriff, ICE and quarter-million dollars The Cochise County Sheriff's Office got $1 million to coordinate with ICE -- including $250,000 in mysterious "travel" money.

NEW: Last year, after signing up for ICE's 287(g) program, the Cochise County Sheriff's Office got a $1M grant.

It included $250K seemingly set aside for Sheriff Mark Dannels -- a Trump supporter -- to travel to conferences held at resorts and casinos:

ICE raid snagged four day laborers at Phoenix Home Depot on Sunday Immigration activists warned of more Los Angeles-style raids on places where immigrants might congregate.

After reports of ICE ramping up immigration enforcement efforts in Phoenix, four day laborers were detained outside a central Phoenix Home Depot over the weekend.

The area has deep ties with Arizona's immigration history.
www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/ice-rai...

Phoenix ICE enforcement set to spike in 2026, report says Trump's draconian deportation machine has focused on big cities. A new report in the Bulwark says the Valley is next on his list.

This morning, @adriancarrasquillo.bsky.social reported that ICE is planning on descending upon Phoenix next. A definitive timeline is unknown, but @senanaliseortiz.bsky.social said the “potential for even more enforcement is horrifying.”

The latest: www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/phoenix...

Heap wasn’t at work the day mailer screw-up hit Recorder’s Office Records show Justin Heap didn't come in after his office wrongly told 83,000 voters their registrations would be canceled.

SCOOP: Records show Recorder Justin Heap wasn't in the office the day his agency learned it erroneously told 83,000 voters their registration would be canceled.

It's unclear where Heap was. His calendar for the day was mostly blank.

By @morgfisch.bsky.social:

Heap wasn’t at work the day mailer screw-up hit Recorder’s Office Records show Justin Heap didn't come in after his office wrongly told 83,000 voters their registrations would be canceled.

Recorder Justin Heap wasn't at work the day his office learned it had incorrectly informed 83,000 voters that their registration would be canceled, records obtained by
@phoenixnewtimes.com show.

The mailers sparked confusion, panic and anger among voters.
www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/maricop...

ICE locked up man visiting Mesa for 70 hours despite valid visa ICE said Edwar Gonzalez was "briefly detained," but he spent nearly three days locked up despite legal permission to be here.

Last week, ICE agents locked up a Mexican man, who was visiting his brother's family in Mesa for the holidays, for nearly three days.

Now, ICE admits he was lawfully present in the U.S. Shaken, the man has already returned to Mexico.

By @morgfisch.bsky.social:

Mesa family says ICE detained visiting relative despite valid visa Mexican national Edwar Gonzalez is being held by ICE, though is relatives say he was visiting them on a valid visa.

NEW: A Mesa family says ICE detained their relative for nearly three days in Phoenix, despite a valid visa and paperwork showing he's in the country legally.

Now, he wants to return to Mexico, but faces roadblocks ahead. www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/mesa-fa...

Rep. Grijalva says ICE pepper-sprayed her at Tucson taco shop Tucson Rep. Adelita Grijalva says ICE pushed and pepper-sprayed her during a raid on the restaurant Taco Giro.

@adelitaforcongress.bsky.social said ICE pepper-sprayed her outside a Tucson taco shop after agents raided it.

The raid was among 16 warrants executed by ICE in southern Arizona today. If you have any information on this, message me on Signal at 623-295-9472.
www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arizona...

Top Arizona Attorney General official arrested by postal inspectors Vanessa Hickman resigned as the state government division chief for Arizona Attorney Kris Mayes on Monday.

BREAKING: A top Kris Mayes division chief was arrested yesterday by postal inspectors. Mayes' office says that Vanessa Hickman resigned as state government division chief on Monday.

From @morgfisch.bsky.social:

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In @phoenixnewtimes.com cover story this week, I uncovered how Short Creek's storied history is impacting its present as measles plays out in the community's health clinic, schools and more.

Pick up a copy or read it at phoenixnewtimes.com.

But his influence is far from gone.

As measles has exposed, it’s there in Short Creek’s low vaccination rates — a result of Jeffs’ distrust of outside medical professionals and, in turn, Creekers’ post-Jeffs suspicion of anyone trying to exert control over their lives.

For a century, Colorado City was a stronghold of the FLDS, a polygamous offshoot of the Mormon Church. But in the early 2000s, the area became infamous under the cult-like control of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs.

Since Jeffs' incarceration in 2011, the community has changed a lot.

Uncontained: Short Creek, measles and the long shadow of Warren Jeffs Arizona's biggest measles outbreak in decades is in a small Arizona town trying to move past its infamous polygamist prophet.

Earlier this month, I traveled to a community along the Utah-Arizona border, where the state's largest measles outbreak in three decades is brewing.

But Short Creek isn't like most places.

My latest for @phoenixnewtimes.com www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arizona...

Uncontained: Short Creek, measles and the long shadow of Warren Jeffs Arizona's biggest measles outbreak in decades is in a small Arizona town trying to move past its infamous polygamist prophet.

Our @morgfisch.bsky.social went to Short Creek, home to Arizona's biggest measles outbreak in decades. It's also the former home of infamous polygamist leader Warren Jeffs.

Jeffs' reign is over, but measles -- and low vaccination rates -- shows he casts a long shadow.

A must-read:

Teacher facing student sex charges had positive STD test in his desk Eric Chapman is facing 20 felonies after he admitted to having sexual encounters with male students in his classroom.

Ex-Cortez High School teacher Eric Chapman faces 20 felonies for having sexual encounters with male students at school.

A police report says documents indicating a positive syphilis test for someone -- it's not clear who -- were found in Chapman's desk.

By @morgfisch.bsky.social:

Charlie Kirk memorial forms at Turning Point’s Phoenix headquarters The controversial conservative media icon, who based his operation in Arizona, was killed during a college event in Utah.

Outside Turning Point's headquarters in Phoenix, Charlie Kirk supporters shed tears and left flowers.

On the ASU campus, where TPUSA has a large presence and where Kirk held many events, feelings were . . . complicated.

From @tjlheureux.bsky.social and @morgfisch.bsky.social: