EXCLUSIVE — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’ office repeatedly sought recruiting help from two prominent left-wing legal groups that spent years suing the state’s corrections department alongside Mayes’ top deputy, internal emails obtained by Digital show.

Chief Deputy Attorney General Daniel Barr sought recommendations from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Berkeley-based Prison Law Office (PLO) for attorneys to handle Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR) work inside the Attorney General’s Office and later for candidates to serve as ADCRR general counsel, according to the emails.

Barr already had a long history with both groups before joining Mayes’ office. Prior to his position in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, he was a partner at Perkins Coie, where he spent years litigating alongside the ACLU and PLO in a federal case that ultimately resulted in a judge finding Arizona’s prison conditions to be constitutionally inadequate.

Both groups advocate substantial changes to incarceration policy. The ACLU has pursued a nationwide goal of cutting jail and prison populations by 50% through reforms including decriminalization, bail reform, shorter sentences and clemency, and has called for reductions in immigration detention. The PLO, meanwhile, says it works to reduce incarceration while also litigating on issues related to prison conditions, medical care, disability rights and solitary confinement.

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In November’s general election, Mayes is slated to face Arizona state Sen. Warren Petersen, a Republican, as she seeks to defend her role as the top law enforcement officer in the state. Mayes won her 2022 race by just 280 votes, one of the narrowest margins in state history.

«Maybe News should start with the facts: the ACLU has repeatedly sued Kris Mayes over issues where they disagreed with her,» Delaney Corcoran, the campaign manager for Mayes’ re-election campaign, told Digital when asked about the email correspondence.

«Mayes has consistently fought for funding for Arizona police and cartel task forces — and stands shoulder to shoulder with Arizona sheriffs and police. Together, Mayes and law enforcement have seized 27 million fentanyl pills off of our streets, more than any other Attorney General in state history.»

Mayes has defended Arizona against lawsuits from the ACLU challenging laws that allowed state and local police to arrest people illegally entering the country between ports of entry and restricted when people could film police officers. She later settled with the ACLU in the police filming case, agreeing to permanently prohibit the unconstitutional police recording law.

Though Mayes describes herself as a «moderate» and sparred with liberal legal groups, Barr — one of her top aides — repeatedly sought candidate recommendations from the progressive ACLU and PLO for corrections-related legal roles.

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«I am looking to bring as much ADCRR work back in-house as possible in the Arizona AG’s Office. To do that, I need to hire attorneys to represent ADCRR in numerous capacities. If you know of anyone who may be interested in helping to turnaround things around here, please let me know,» Barr wrote to representatives of the ACLU and PLO in February 2023.

In April of that year, Barr again turned to the groups, this time seeking possible candidates for ADCRR’s top legal position.

«Let me know if you have any suggested candidates,» he wrote, forwarding an email to PLO and ACLU representatives soliciting applications for ADCRR general counsel. When his efforts to fill the role of ADCRR’s top lawyer bore no fruit, he again turned to the two groups.

«Still no takers for the ADCRR general counsel job. If you have any suggestions, please let me know,» he wrote to them on May 11, 2023.

That same day, ACLU National Prison Project director David Fathi responded, promising to «redouble» his efforts to find a candidate for Barr.

Among the priorities of the ACLU National Prison Project are «substantially reducing the incarcerated population» and promoting a criminal justice system in which incarceration is used only as a «last resort.» Fathi has also criticized relying on police and prisons to address drug problems,stating in one social media post that «we will never solve drug problems with police and prisons.»

Corene Kendrick, the deputy director of the National Prison Project, responded in turn to Barr’s email that one of her possible recommendations was already «enjoying suing ADCRR in civil rights damages cases in her spare time of running her café in Carrizozo,» showing that at least one prospective candidate being floated to Barr had experience suing ADCRR in civil-rights cases.

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Digital only obtained email records, not call transcripts or in-person meeting minutes, so it’s unclear what further assistance, if any, the PLO and ACLU gave the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. ADCRR ultimately hired Ashley Oddo to serve as its general counsel.

Before joining ADCRR, Oddo led Arizona State University’s Academy for Justice and had backed several criminal-justice positions associated with the left, including addressing systemic racism in policing and pardoning people convicted of nonviolent federal marijuana offenses.

Oddo has no institutional affiliation with the ACLU or the PLO nor was her name mentioned by either organization in email communications with Barr.

Other communications obtained and reviewed by Digital show a cordial relationship between Barr and staffers working for the ACLU and PLO. Fathi, for instance, requested a phone conversation with Barr in February 2023, and Barr responded two minutes later. Fathi disclosed in another email that the director of ADCRR reached out to him «to schedule a call about working together on ADCRR issues.»

Don Specter, a longtime PLO attorney, also reported having a «productive meeting» with the head of ADCRR in June 2023.

To reduce incarceration, the PLO has pursued litigation that contributed to court-ordered reductions in California’s prison population, supported credit systems that can advance release or parole eligibility, and advocated reentry programs allowing eligible people to serve portions of their sentences in the community.

The organizations Barr turned to for recruiting assistance have taken positions on policing and incarceration that differ sharply from Mayes’ public law-and-order posture.

ARIZONA DEM AG BLASTED FOR ‘DANGEROUS’ CLAIM RESIDENTS CAN SHOOT ICE AGENTS UNDER STATE LAWS

«As Attorney General, Mayes has been a partner to law enforcement, delivering millions of dollars in funding and resources so border sheriffs and Arizona police can keep us safe,» her campaign website reads. «She has locked up drug cartel members, seized more than 27 million deadly fentanyl pills off our streets and gone after criminals trying to take advantage of our kids.»

The ACLU, meanwhile, has explicitly advocated defunding or divesting from police departments and redirecting resources toward other community services — publishing blogs with titles such as «Defunding the Police Will Actually Make Us Safer» and «Local Officials: Pledge to Divest from Police and Reinvest in Black Communities.» Additionally, the legal advocacy group has urged Congress to cut federal police funding while also calling on state and local leaders to reduce law enforcement spending.

The PLO likewise advocates reducing incarceration, expanding release opportunities and increasing community-based alternatives.

Those positions differ sharply from Mayes’ stated position on police funding. During her 2022 campaign, Mayes responded with «a resounding no» when asked whether she supported defunding the police.

Barr, Fathi, Oddo, Specter, Kendrick, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, the ACLU and the PLO did not respond to requests for comment when reached by Digital on Monday.

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Violent clashes broke out across France on Saturday as demonstrations entered a fourth week. Earlier in the week, President Emmanuel Macron made some of his most direct comments yet on the protests as he enters his final six months in office.

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In his weekly cabinet meeting, Macron «stressed that young people have legitimate concerns,» government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon told the AFP, «but these are being exploited for political purposes and turned into urban violence.» Bregeon added that Macron called on his ministers to come up with «concrete responses» to the unrest within weeks.

This comes as a national day of protest over rising costs of living and additional student grievances led to violence in Paris and other major cities today. While many of the protests were without violence, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse violent groups in the capital, where people wearing hoods and masks threw fireworks and other objects at officers in the Place de la République. The interior ministry reported assaults on police, looting and damage to public buildings, saying there have been at least 272 arrests nationwide.

FRANCE EXPLODES AGAIN AS STUDENTS RIOT OVER EDUCATION

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A protester faces off with French riot police amid clashes during a demonstration against the cost of living and rising fuel prices at the Place de la Republique in Paris as part of nationwide protests called by the «Yellow Vests» movement, joined by French high school and university students, teachers and parents demanding better school conditions and government action, as well as labour unions, workers, farmers and retirees, France, Oct. 17, 2026. (Jack Taylor/Reuters)

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu took a more direct approach than Macron, saying the student movement has been «instrumentalized by the allies of France Unbowed (LFI)… for electoral reasons.» The left-wing LFI’s presidential candidate, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, even participated in one of the Paris protests this week, while LFI councilors, deputies, and mayors have joined student blockades in multiple cities.

Elections to replace the term-limited Macron are set for April and May, and opposition parties have seized upon the ongoing unrest. Leading candidate Marine Le Pen, of the conservative National Rally party, has voiced support for the police, blaming students for any violence.

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BEHIND FRANCE’S STUDENT RIOTS: COMMUNISTS, UNIONS AND A GLOBAL PROPAGANDA NETWORK

Firefighters tackle burning emergency vehicle during student protests in Paris. (Reuters)

Meanwhile, students, unions, rights groups and parents have accused the police of using excessive force against the students.

According to the AFP, the interior ministry has opened internal investigations into 36 allegations of police officer violence against demonstrators. But the national police union, Alliance Police Nationale, says it has filed a lawsuit against the government for «putting lives in danger» over what it called «contradictory orders» given to officers deployed in the protests.

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French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech as he visits the Istres military air force base, southern France, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni, Pool) (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni, Pool)

The Alliance says officers felt «betrayed, abandoned, left to fend for themselves» by their political leaders because of their «unclear instructions» and what they said were public expressions of «empathy towards the rioters.»

«This is the country of the French Revolution. Everyone boasts about it,» police officer and union representative Walid Hrar told The Associated Press. «Some political parties don’t hesitate to say that we need to disobey the law. That’s what Robespierre and other revolutionaries taught us in 1789.»

FRANCE IS DEVOURING ITSELF AS SCHOOL RIOTS REVEAL A CRISIS FAR BIGGER THAN BROKEN CLASSROOMS

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A protester throws a projectile through tear gas amid clashes with the French riot police at the Place de la Republique during a demonstration against the cost of living and rising fuel prices in Paris as part of nationwide protests called by the «Yellow Vests» movement, joined by French high school and university students, teachers and parents demanding better school conditions and government action, as well as labour unions, workers, farmers and retirees, France, Oct. 17, 2026.  (REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq )

«France always tends to react rather than anticipate,» he added. «In other words, we’re always going to extremes.»

On the sidelines of Friday’s European Council summit in Brussels, Macron again called for calm, saying, «There is a constitutional right to protest and to express oneself. But this right comes with the need to respect. Respect for people, respect for property, and therefore a commitment not to insult or destroy.»

Lecornu told Parliament that 937 police officers and 149 teachers and school staff have been injured since the protests began, while the French justice ministry reports that nearly 8,000 people have been arrested.

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Protests have also spread to neighboring Belgium. Several hundred mostly young people protested in Brussels today, according to Reuters, clashing with police in protests at least partly inspired by what is going on in France. A similar protest occurred in the French-speaking city of Liege. Student groups say they are protesting rising education costs and reforms they say will make higher education less accessible.

Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin posted on X that what is happening in his country: «is no longer mere protest! It is pure and simple violence, organized and repeated to destabilize our society… All necessary means will be used to restore order in the face of the rioters.»

Small solidarity events have also taken place in neighboring Luxembourg and the French-speaking parts of Switzerland, but they have been peaceful with no arrests reported. Student protests also occurred in India this week over education issues there, but they do not appear to be linked to the protests in France.

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French authorities have expressed hope that the protest movement will ease in coming days as schools nationwide are closed until Nov. 2 due to the Toussain, or All Saints’, holiday.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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Tyler Speicher is an American journalist living in Slovenia after spending 25 years covering stories ranging from the Little League World Series to hurricanes, 9/11 and its aftermath for New York City news outlets, including 20 years on the Fox News Channel assignment desk.

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If Republican Joe Strada wins Florida’s eleventh congressional district in three weeks, he will likely be the wealthiest individual to ever hold a seat in the US House of Representatives.

It’s an impressive trajectory for a man from humble beginnings who got his start fixing equipment in a bowling alley, but always had a zest for learning, building, and working with his hands.

Strada, whose HVAC, electrical and plumbing company employs roughly 4,000 people across 13 states, told Digital that his journey from handyman to wealthy entrepreneur embodies the American Dream but that neither his fortune nor his business success defines him.

PULLING BILLIONS FROM HARVARD TO FUND TRADE SCHOOLS? HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT TRUMP’S LATEST MOVE

«How about that? Just the kid, a handyman in a bowling alley, fixing things that break…and now I’m blessed to have a business that’s in 13 states, thousands of people that work for me. It’s been a blessing and, I’m able to live the American dream. 

«But it’s difficult. It was difficult with the headwinds and the rules and regulations that come out of Washington, D.C. And it was very challenging …It should be difficult, but not this challenging.»

Strada wants everyone to be able to benefit from the American capitalist system that brought him great success:

«You know, as a business owner, I realized and recognized all the problems that Washington, D.C. is causing. All the rules and regulations that are impacting families, small business owners all across the country. And I finally said, we need a different type of person in Washington, DC. 

«We have enough lobbyists, politicians and attorneys there. It’s time to have a business-minded person that knows how to fix things that could go to Washington, and solve problems for the real, you know, real problems for the American people.»

Strada is on a nationwide mission to pitch young people on the value of the trades, and suggests it’s a worthy alternative to racking up massive student loans:

«The word of trade is really starting to spread now. Trades people, young people just want to be successful. Sometimes they don’t know there’s an opportunity in the trades. You come to my company, you don’t know how to spell AC, you don’t know what end of the screwdriver to hold, but you’re paid the very first day. We train you. We give you a career that will support yourself and your family the rest of your life. 

«You don’t have a $250,000 student debt, and you’re able to be successful… And my objective, not just with my company, it’s across the country. I’m working with trade schools and high schools everywhere. I’m talking to young people all over our country to come into the trades because it’s a great opportunity to live your version of the American dream.»

As Strada’s HVAC company was growing throughout the country, a labor shortage prompted a serious challenge, and a major shift in business strategy:

«The most difficult challenge was we had the opportunity to grow, and we didn’t have enough labor. So I had to develop a program to teach people the trade. So we could grow, and we’ve been fortunate: we’re in 13 states now and 4,000 people that work with us. We never would have done that if we didn’t develop our own training program. 

«I couldn’t wait for the government to come and solve my problem. I’m a business guy who solves problems and I had to go develop a training program for young people.»

Strada argues that people on government assistance should also take a serious look at the trades, suggesting we have a large untapped labor pool within our own borders:

«The border had to be closed, and we did a great job keeping all the criminals out of our country. And as far as getting more workers, we have Americans that want to work. We have plenty of people sitting at home getting a government paycheck. Let’s get them to work. 

«Some of them are just lazy and don’t want to work, others just need the opportunity and the push to say, ‘this is easy, let’s get into a trade, let’s learn a business.’

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«I’ve have plenty of people that turned out to be an entrepreneur. They’ve opened their own business, and I’m very happy and gratified when I’m helping people.»

Hard work is at the foundation of Strada’s success, and he argues an inherent part of that economic success is bringing others along:

«You know, most people think when you’re successful, it was handed to you. I got to tell you, David, I’m proud of the hard work my father did, but it was tough growing up. We were fortunate, we had a swimming pool, but it was mainly, a lot of times it was green because we couldn’t afford chlorine. It was the best Marco Polo pool in the neighborhood.

«I started with nothing. It’s just hard work. The passion and drive to want to be successful, to achieve goals. And it’s always about everybody wins. My employees have to win. My customers have to win, the company has to win and that’s the position I like to be in is to be able to help sit at a table, moderate those kinds of things and execute those results.»

Ultimately, Strada downplays the importance of money, and emphasizes character, while revealing that his greatest motivation in life was born from a family tragedy:

«I wake up every day the same person I was when I was 12 years old that I am today. I’ve been blessed to be wealthy. I worked hard. I don’t apologize for it…But you know, money is just a number. My perspective is everybody puts their head on the pillow at the end of the night. And when you put your head on your pillow, what do you stand for? What’s the character of who you are? 

«How much money you have…How many zeros you have and where the decimal point is on your bank account? None of that matters. What kind of character are you? I strive every day to do the right thing. For my God, my son in heaven who looks down at me, I want to make him proud. Every decision I make is to make him proud of me, and I do the best I can every single day.»

Strada’s son, Joe Strada, was an innocent bystander killed by a stray bullet in Lake Mary, FL, during a gunfight outside a shopping center in 2018.

Finally, Strada promises to be a powerful voice for tradeschools if he is elected to Congress next month.

«Well, first of all, I would love to have my name on the SAVE Act and put it into law. That’s the first thing. I also think our trade schools are so important: to treat our trade school just like we have our Ivy League colleges. 

«We’re funding our Ivy league colleges billions and billions of dollars and we’re graduating unhirable people that, some of them, hate America. I think the trade schools need more support from our government and treat them just like the universities.»

Strada will face off in the general election against Democrat James Pericola, a Clinton administration official.

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