Author

Jerod MacDonald-Evoy

Jerod MacDonald-Evoy

Jerod MacDonald-Evoy spent four years at the Arizona Republic covering everything from dark money in politics to Catholic priest sexual abuse scandals. Jerod has also won awards for his documentary films which have covered issues such as religious tolerance and surveillance technology used by police.

Armed vigilantes wearing tactical gear were captured by security cameras on Oct. 21, 2022, outside Maricopa County’s drop box in Mesa, Arizona.

Judge rejects lawsuit to stop groups surveilling drop boxes, citing First Amendment protections

By: - October 31, 2022

PHOENIX – A federal judge denied a bid to shut down efforts by a group that has been surveilling drop boxes in Maricopa County, saying that it would violate the First Amendment rights of the watchers. Two separate lawsuits have been filed aiming to stop extremist groups from surveilling drop boxes in Maricopa and Yavapai […]

Measles cases highlight Arizona’s declining vaccination rates

By: - September 7, 2022

PHOENIX – The Maricopa County Department of Public Health recently announced three measles cases in the county as the state has continued to see year-over-year drops in how many children are being vaccinated against the highly contagious viral infection. Measles has no specific treatment once a person becomes infected, and it is estimated that measles […]

Arizona has a new ‘blatantly unconstitutional’ ban on filming cops up close

By: - July 9, 2022

PHOENIX – Arizonans who are within eight feet of a police officer while filming them can be thrown in jail for up to 30 days under a new law that Gov. Doug Ducey signed this week.  Whether it stays on the books will be up to the courts, said a Phoenix attorney. “It’s blatantly unconstitutional,” […]

How fake a Trump elector, Ginni Thomas and an email platform for activism are connected

By: - June 21, 2022

PHOENIX – When Virginia “Ginni” Thomas sent an email to Arizona lawmakers in November 2020 asking them to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the state, she did so using an advocacy platform that a Republican legislator-elect would go on to own, the Arizona Mirror has discovered.  FreeRoots, the email campaign service that makes it easy […]

Ron Watkins

Feds want to know why the man purported to be Q failed to disclose 40% of his campaign money

By: - March 30, 2022

The man purported to be Q has run afoul of the Federal Elections Commission for failing to correctly report how much he raised and spent during his first quarter as a congressional candidate in a rural Arizona district. 

Scam online pharmacies selling fake, dangerous pills find opportunity in the pandemic

By: - October 12, 2021

The coronavirus pandemic has kick-started a host of online and remote services, but not all of them are as useful as expansions to telemedicine or having groceries ordered online and delivered to your doorstep: Fake online pharmacies have also proliferated during COVID-19, putting their customers at serious risk. “Criminals will use any emergency or crisis […]

Nation’s voting machines remain vulnerable to hacking

By: - October 6, 2020

There is no evidence, despite partisan claims to the contrary, that mail-in ballots are rife with voting fraud — but there are parts of the election system that security researchers say are at far greater risk for malicious activity. National elections like the one in November, when Americans will decide whether Donald Trump or Joe […]