MCAO dismisses Kimberly Yee’s campaign complaint against Teresa Leyba Ruiz

The Maricopa County Attorneys’ Office dismissed the formal complaint Republican Kimberly Yee filed against Superintendent-elect Teresa Leyba Ruiz concluding the Democrat did not violate any statute with her campaign content, Ruiz’s campaign announced Wednesday.

Yee filed the complaint in September alleging that Ruiz broke the law by putting public school staff and students in campaign content. At the time, Ruiz called the complaint “meritless” and “desperate,” adding she visited schools to hear what educators had to say.

Additionally, she called it an attempt to distract from the negative press Yee received from bringing up debunked claims of schools using litter boxes during a Legislative District 3 meeting in February.

The county attorney’s office said publishing photos and videos of a candidate’s appearance at a school after the visit doesn’t break the law, according to Ruiz’s campaign.

“From the beginning, this was a baseless political attack designed to distract from the issues that matter to Arizona students and families,” Ruiz said in a news release. “The law was clear, and the outcome was never in doubt. Throughout this campaign, I have remained focused on Arizona’s students, educators and families and that is exactly where my attention will remain.”

Ruiz defeated Yee in the race to be Arizona’s next superintendent of public instruction last week.

Ruiz’s campaign noted that Yee still hasn’t conceded in the race, adding she is the only statewide candidate who hasn’t.

With the complaint dismissed, Ruiz is turning her focus to preparing to run the Arizona Department of Education, stating she is meeting the outgoing Superintendent Tom Horne to ensure a smooth transition in January.

Once in office, Ruiz plans to prioritize public education, support teachers, expand students’ opportunities and bring accountability to the Empowerment Scholarship Account program.

KTAR News 92.3 FM reached out to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for confirmation that complaint was dismissed.

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