Rep. Leezah Sun has stepped down from her position in the Arizona Legislature amid a swirl of controversy following an Ethics Committee report that outlined a series of ethics violations and inappropriate conduct. According to 12 News, Sun's resignation was announced on Wednesday, just one day after the damning allegations were publicized.
The report accused Sun, a Democrat representing District 22 in the West Valley, of threatening to throw a Tolleson city official off a balcony, among other aggressive behaviors. In a statement obtained by AZ Family, House Democratic leaders said, "The facts are overwhelmingly clear and, speak for themselves. Representative Sun engaged in a pattern of disorderly behavior that damaged the reputation of the House." Despite her resignation, Sun has denied such accusations, claiming she has been the target of a defamation campaign.
The Ethics Committee's investigation found that Sun's conduct was unbecoming of a lawmaker, including making threats of physical harm and leveraging her position to unduly influence a child custody case, intimidate a school superintendent and a bogus investigation. These insights into the lawmaker's behavior painted a picture of consistent unethical actions. "Representative Sun levied a threat of physical harm and against the life of the city official while acting in her capacity as a member of this House and in doing so committed disorderly behavior," the committee's report states, according 12 News report.
Rep. Sun wasn't alone in leaving the House; Democratic Rep. Amish Shaw of District 5 also announced his resignation to pivot focus on his Congressional campaign, as reported by AZ Family. This follows closely behind the resignation of Jennifer Longdon, another representative for District 5. Democratic leadership expressed gratitude for the thorough, and transparent work of the Ethics Committee in their investigation into Sun's conduct. They emphasized that Sun's decision to resign was in the best interest of the state and the integrity of the legislative body.
