A Republican candidate in Arizona has called off his successful campaign for the Maricopa school district board after he was arrested for sexual indecency … near a daycare center. But it’s still on the ballot
Randy Kaufman, a Republican candidate for the governing board of the Maricopa County Community College District in Arizona, suspended his campaign on Tuesday, October 18, after the media reported his arrest on October 4 on a charge of public sexual indecency.
The party of family values. Randy Kaufman, a Trump-loving MAGA Republican candidate for Maricopa County AZ College Board, arrested for masturbating in his pickup truck across the street from a preschool. Cop: “Kaufman had his pants down showing his fully erect nude penis.” pic.twitter.com/HsOhZHpcgd
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) October 19, 2022
Kaufman was seen masturbating in his truck in the parking lot of the Rio Salado Lifelong Learning Center in Surprise, according to a police report from Maricopa County Community College police, according to NBC 12. And he was parked near a preschool. .
“(Kaufman) appeared to be looking at a cell phone in one hand. I was immediately alarmed when I saw that (he) had his pants down to mid-thigh…” the police report says.
The arresting officer says he saw someone on a bike just eight feet away and preschoolers playing outside at a nearby daycare center.
Kaufman told the officer, “I screwed up. I am very stressed”.
"I f***ed up."
Arizona GOP candidate Randy Kaufman was arrested for masturbating in his truck on campus…part of the district he was running for the college board in. It was near a preschool.
But his name is already on the ballot, some have already early voted, so now what?⬇️ pic.twitter.com/mRBjPzRZhG
— Briana Whitney (@BrianaWhitney) October 19, 2022
The police report says the case has been referred to the Maricopa County Prosecutor’s Office for a decision on charging.
12News has learned that Kaufman could face a possible felony charge due to his proximity to a child care facility.
In a statement to 12News, Kaufman said Tuesday that he would suspend his campaign for the school’s governing board due to a “personal legal matter.”
“I am sincerely grateful for the supporters and friends I have gathered throughout the campaign,” Kaufman said. “I will never stop fighting to protect the United States Constitution and the values that make America the greatest country in the world.”
The Maricopa County Elections Department reported that it has not received an official Declaration of Withdrawal from Kaufman. Without the document signed and notarized, Randy Kaufman is still an active candidate and his votes will be counted in the November election.
A department spokeswoman said that even if Kaufman files an official Declaration of Withdrawal, it is already too late to remove his name from the ballot.
The following post posted on Twitter lists all of the Republican candidates in Arizona, including Kaufman:
https://twitter.com/AZGOP/status/1580326515342217217
The Arizona Republican Party released a statement Tuesday about Kaufman’s decision to suspend his campaign: “Every American citizen is entitled to fair treatment throughout the judicial system. The Arizona Republican Party respects due process and the Constitution. We support Mr. Kaufman’s decision to suspend his campaign,” according to azfamily.com.