Arizona Congressional Candidate Reports Rape While Fixing Campaign Signs

Democratic congressional candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia disclosed she was raped around 2 a.m. on August 14 while repairing a damaged campaign sign in a Sun City parking lot, about 25 miles northwest of Phoenix. She told the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office on August 31 that two men attacked her, knocking her unconscious, and that she awoke to one man raping her while a second assaulted her before leaving.

Greene-Placentia, who is challenging Republican Rep. Abraham Hamadeh in Arizona's 8th Congressional District, said she initially did not report the assault due to embarrassment but decided to go public to support other survivors. Governor Katie Hobbs' spokesperson called the attack "cruel and cowardly" and said no one should fear for their safety while serving their community.

“I can't go around telling people I'm going to fight for them if I'm not going to fight for women who are victims of sexual violence.”

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office confirmed the investigation is ongoing. The incident report notes Greene-Placentia did not seek medical attention or photograph injuries, and could not identify the exact location or the attackers' appearances, though she believed they were white and one wore black boots.

Hosts on "The Charlie Kirk Show" podcast dismissed her account as a "hoax" and politically motivated, questioning why she did not immediately seek a rape kit. Co-host Andrew Kolvet suggested women bear responsibility to avoid being out alone at 2 a.m., while acknowledging the allegations would be horrible if true.