Woman Fired by Hobbs Rejects Apology, Demands She Abandon Governor’s Race

The woman who twice represented herself in successful discrimination lawsuits against now-Secretary of State Katie Hobbs is not only refusing an apology but demanding Hobbs give up her bid for Arizona governor.

Hobbs posted a three-minute-long video Wednesday expressing remorse for her involvement in former Arizona Senate staffer Talonya Adams’ termination.

“Please allow me to say this clearly and unequivocally. I apologize to Ms. Adams,” Hobbs said in the video and a statement. “I’m truly sorry for the real harm that I caused Ms. Adams and her family. My response to the jury verdict was short-sighted, unnecessarily defensive, and failed to meet the moment.”

Hobbs was Senate Minority Leader at the time of Adams’ firing.

She pledged to “recruit, hire and elevate women and people of color to leadership positions” in her campaign and create a “chief equity officer to implement measures to build a more diverse government” if she’s elected governor in 2022.

The apology comes after criticism from fellow Democrats who said Hobbs didn’t appear conciliatory enough in her response to a second jury ruling she and others discriminated against Adams when Adams was terminated from her job as legal counsel for the Senate Democratic Caucus.

The jury agreed that Adams, who is black, was fired in retaliation for requesting higher pay after learning she was paid less than white colleagues with similar duties.

Adams was awarded $2 million for the retaliatory firing and another $750,000 for being discriminated against – though federal discrimination charges are capped at $300,000 plus legal fees for employers of more than 100 people.

Adams publicly rejected Hobbs’ apology at a news conference Thursday, saying it came only after her political career was threatened.

“I call for Katie Hobbs, current Secretary of State, to drop out of the race for governor,” Adams said. “She is a distraction.”

Adams read the definition of the word racist and said Hobbs fits the description, saying she used her extraordinary position of power to treat a minority differently.

“Her statement is not an apology,” Adams said. “It’s designed to help her get over a political hurdle.”

Though Hobbs publicly apologized for her actions, Adams said the two had not spoken since February 2015 when she was fired.

Hobbs, who testified at the last trial, was the Senate Minority Leader when Adams was fired. The Senate’s defense claimed Adams never brought up race; therefore, she couldn’t have been discriminated against on such a basis.

Hobbs said she and other Senate Democrats “lost trust and confidence” in Adams after she miscommunicated issues to the Republican caucus.

Adams represented herself first in 2019. As a result of the first victorious verdict, she was reinstated to her position in state government but has since taken another job.

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This article was published on December 10, 2021, and is reproduced with permission from The Center Square.