Justine Wadsack (photo, left) was pulled over by a Tucson cop for driving 71 mph in a 35 mph zone on March 15, 2024.
She wasn’t immediately cited because she’s a state senator, and Arizona legislators enjoy immunity from arrest while in session, but they can be prosecuted after the legislature adjourns.
In late June, Wadsack was presented with a speeding citation, but refused to sign it, and demanded to see the police chief, presumably to claim a special privilege to drive at dangerous speeds on city streets.
But the police aren’t having it, and because she refused to be cited, she’ll be summoned to municipal court. Whereupon Wadsack alleged she’s being “politically persecuted.”
As the city attorney pointed out, “persecuted” and “prosecuted” are spelled differently, and also have different meanings.
Who is this nutcase? She’s about 52 years old, never attended college (it shows), worked in public relations, advertising, and as a real estate agent (see bio here); and was first elected to the legislature (as a Republican) in 2022, assuming office in 2023 — and has already been subjected to a recall attempt.
She’s the usual far-right mish-mash of QAnon adherent (which she eventually disavowed), gun nut (see photo here), purveyor of false conspiracy theories, anti-masking, book banning, Bible thumping, homophobia, and so on (see profiles here and here), which is why Republican voters elected her.
But now she has a primary opponent in 2024, and because of the speeding ticket dustup, the Fraternal Order of Police have yanked their endorsement of her (see story here). If she loses her seat, it likely won’t be because she’s ignorant, bigoted, and crazy, but because she tried to push around the police. And maybe also because she drives a Tesla.
That’s because the far right loves Elon Musk, but not his cars or people who drive them, which is one of the more interesting paradoxes in American politics. And get this: Wadsack told the cop she was driving fast because she was trying to get home before her Tesla’s battery gave out. (Read story here.)