Lawmaker under investigation over $3 million handout to his private employer

A Democratic Arizona state senator is under investigation for facilitating a $3 million payment of taxpayer money to his private employer, reported The Arizona Republic on Monday.

The payment in question, initiated by Arizona Sen. Brian Fernandez, sent the money to a hospital in Yuma, to be used for scholarships — a purpose he maintains was completely aboveboard and in the public interest. “This is not one that I’m even remotely concerned with,” he said. “I mean, like I'm advocating for my community and medical school in Yuma.”

"Laudable as the program may be, the questionable process Fernandez used for the funding could get him in trouble," said the report. "He failed in his first attempt to give money to Onvida Health, formerly the Yuma Regional Medical Center, where Fernandez works as a vice president. Unable to rally enough votes for a bill to give the nonprofit company $7 million, The Arizona Republic learned Fernandez slipped a $3 million appropriation for the company into the state's fiscal year 2026 state budget."

Once he had made the maneuver, the report continued, he failed to disclose the potential conflict of interest when he voted in favor of its passage.

"In a March 6 interview, Fernandez said he received no bonus or raise for obtaining the money for Onvida Health, a claim that can’t be independently verified," said the report. "Yet the relationship between Fernandez and Onvida Health has clearly been a good investment for both parties. State records show Onvida Health executives gave several thousand dollars to Fernandez's 2024 reelection campaign, just before offering him a job in government relations."

Warren Petersen, the GOP state Senate president, has said he is investigating the matter with legal counsel, telling The Republic, “What’s not normal here is how he’s doing it.”

The Arizona legislature is often rocked by bizarre accusations of misconduct by lawmakers. In 2024, Rep. Austin Smith, a far-right lawmaker tied to the now-deceased MAGA activist Charlie Kirk, ended his re-election bid after it was revealed he was forging signatures to qualify for the ballot.