Arizona candidate says she was raped and thinks it may have been politically motivated

Bernadette Greene-Placentia, a Democratic candidate for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, reported being struck and raped by two men in Sun City while repairing campaign signs around 2 a.m. on August 14. She filed an official report with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office on August 31, approximately two weeks after the incident. Greene-Placentia suggested the attack might be politically motivated based on a derogatory comment she heard, though she later expressed uncertainty regarding the exact phrasing. Local officials from both parties, including her opponent Rep. Abe Hamadeh, have condemned the attack and called for a thorough investigation, which remains ongoing.

Bernadette Greene-Placentia, a Democratic candidate for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, reported being struck and raped by two men in Sun City while repairing campaign signs around 2 a.m. on August 14. She filed an official report with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office on August 31, approximately two weeks after the incident. Greene-Placentia suggested the attack might be politically motivated based on a derogatory comment she heard, though she later expressed uncertainty regarding the exact phrasing. Local officials from both parties, including her opponent Rep. Abe Hamadeh, have condemned the attack and called for a thorough investigation, which remains ongoing.