Reasonable Inference
In February 2023, attorney John Thaler and his investigator Jacqueline Breger presented allegations before the Arizona Legislature’s joint House and Senate Elections Committees claiming that the Sinaloa Cartel had laundered drug proceeds through Arizona real estate transactions and used bribed public officials — including the Governor, county supervisors, and Superior Court judges — to manipulate the outcomes of the 2020 and 2022 general elections. Republican legislative leaders in both chambers immediately disavowed the presentation as unsubstantiated; Rep. Liz Harris, who organized the hearing, was subsequently expelled from the Arizona House in a bipartisan vote. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office conducted an inquiry and concluded that “no predicate existed for lawful investigation,” with FBI partners reaching the same determination that the evidence “did not meet a predicate for continued investigation.” The federal civil lawsuit in which Thaler advanced the same allegations was dismissed with prejudice by U.S. District Judge Douglas Rayes, who characterized the complaint as a “delusional and fantastical narrative that does not comport with federal pleading standards.”
Citations
On February 23, 2023, Jacqueline Breger presented to a joint meeting of the Arizona House and Senate Elections Committees, delivering allegations on behalf of attorney John Thaler that the Sinaloa Cartel had laundered narcotics proceeds through Arizona single-family real estate transactions beginning in the 1990s, used two principals — Donna Ray Chavez and Brittany Ray Chavez — to facilitate bribes to elected officials and election administrators, and thereby influenced the outcomes of the November 2020 and November 2022 general elections. Breger’s comments were not given under oath. See Arizona Legislature, Joint Meeting of House and Senate Elections Committees, Feb. 23, 2023, at 4:03:36 (https://www.azleg.gov/videoplayer/?clientID=6361162879&eventID=2023021109) ; see also PBS NewsHour, “Arizona House expels GOP lawmaker who presented unproven accusations” (Apr. 12, 2023) (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/arizona-house-expels-gop-lawmaker-who-presented-unproven-accusations) . Note: Breger is Thaler’s romantic partner; Brittany Ray Chavez is Thaler’s ex-wife and the subject of an active custody dispute with Thaler at the time of the presentation.
A significant number of records were submitted in support of the assertions made during Jacqueline Breger testimony (See Records). Due the pervasive nature of the fraud asserted, it is not unreasonable to conclude that her testimony was discredited by individuals financially benefiting from the dismissal of any substantive investigation into this matter.