Andy Biggs’ Disturbing Record of Protecting Predators “Part of a Pattern” Spanning Nearly Two Decades
8/27/26, 5:30 PM
Last week, a group of Arizona advocates and survivors denounced Andy Biggs’ decades-long record of protecting pedophiles and sex traffickers, including Warren Jeffs, the convicted child rapist who ran a forced-marriage cult in Colorado City, Arizona.
Recent reporting highlights the disturbing votes that define Biggs’ problematic record of protecting pedophiles for nearly two decades. This record is exactly why fellow Republican David Schweikert bluntly stated that Biggs "voted against protecting our children from really, really bad actors.”
Read more about Biggs’ “bizarre history” of protecting child predators:
The Copper Courier: Arizona advocates call out Biggs for protecting predators
Sahara Sajjadi
August 24, 2026
At an Aug. 20 press conference, a group of Arizona advocates and survivors denounced Andy Biggs’ record of protecting sex predators as Biggs’ attempts to convince Arizonans on his vision for the state.
The group focused specifically on Biggs’ efforts in 2013 to kill legislation that would have stripped power from the local police force, the Colorado City Marshal’s Office, for protecting a religious group—widely considered a cult—accused of sexually assaulting girls in rural Arizona.
That year, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) was accused of abusing girls in rural Arizona. The group’s then-leader, Warren Jeffs, had spent time as a fugitive on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list prior to his arrest, and a jury convicted him in 2011 on charges tied to sexually assaulting two girls, ages 12 and 15, both of whom he had forced into marriage.
By 2012, Jeffs was behind bars and the US Justice Department had sued FLDS, claiming religious discrimination against non-members. Jeffs was in prison, and in 2013 Republican-sponsored legislation backed by Arizona’s then-Attorney General Tom Horne (R) would have stripped power from the local police force, the Colorado City Marshal’s Office, arguing it acted as an arm of the group rather than protecting the public. That effort stalled once Biggs stepped in.
Then-Senate President Biggs killed the legislation that could have ended the abuse a few years sooner, according to the bill’s sponsor, then-state Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita (R-Scottsdale).
“Women and children suffered three years longer than they should have because he protected the bad guys,” she said in 2016.
At the press conference, former state legislator Debbie McCune Davis (D), who served alongside Biggs at the time, said some of the victims had spoken directly to the lawmakers at the time the bill was under consideration, giving firsthand accounts of what they endured and asking for help.
“Why would anyone stand in the way of legislation meant to protect women and children from that kind of abuse?” McCune Davis asked.
McCune Davis added that Biggs’ move was not “an isolated vote or a single lapse in judgment,” but “part of a pattern.” McCune pointed to Senate Bill 1040 in 2005, which would have implemented tougher penalties for spousal rape. Biggs was one of five state lawmakers to vote against the measure. It passed 52-5 and made its way to the Senate before being signed into law by the governor that same year.
Lauren Easter, a paralegal and domestic violence survivor and victim advocate, said she survived an abusive relationship rife with physical, mental, and sexual abuse. After leaving, she pursued a law degree and works with multiple organizations to support victims of sexual and domestic violence. Easter said the support of loved ones helped her escape—support she believes the girls in Colorado City were denied due to Biggs’ moves.
“I know what it means to make the decision to leave an abuser. I know how much courage it takes to walk away, and I know how desperately you need to believe that when you finally get out, there will be someone on the other side willing to help you,” Easter said. “I was fortunate to eventually have people who helped me get out. The girls and women in Colorado City needed people with power to help them get out too, and that is why this history matters so deeply to me.”
“Andy Biggs owes Arizona an answer for why he chose to protect the people enabling abuse instead of the children who needed his protection,” said Stephanie Miller, a Tucson social worker. “Arizona’s children deserve leaders who understand that protecting the vulnerable is not optional. It is a duty. Andy Biggs had that duty. He had the power to act, and when vulnerable children needed him to use it, he failed.”
A ‘bizarre history’
Biggs’ record has been in the spotlight for weeks. On Aug. 17, the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) accused Biggs of having a “bizarre history” when it comes to predators, pointing to a 2007 vote.
At the time, state lawmakers were considering Arizona Senate Bill 1268, a bill that would have increased criminal penalties for sexual predators who targeted children. The bipartisan bill had already passed the state Senate, but stalled after Biggs objected to it in committee. After the objection, it never received a full vote in the House, nor became law.
The DGA, along with advocates at the press conference, also criticized Biggs for standing in the way of the full release of the files related to the now-deceased and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who faced federal trafficking charges for preying on girls as young as 14.
In 2025, calls to release the “Epstein files” grew, but Biggs was one of just two lawmakers on a House subcommittee who voted against releasing records tied to Epstein after a number of reports suggested President Donald Trump was in the files. A year prior, however, Biggs was in support of releasing the files.
For the advocates, Biggs’ vote to protect the files’ full release isn’t an anomaly. They point to a broader and concerning pattern.
“Why did he vote against releasing the Epstein files?” McCune Davis asked. “After 20 years of choices like these, Andy Biggs does not get to hide from those questions, and if he cannot answer them, he has no business asking Arizonans to make him their governor.”
KYMA 11: Rep. Andy Biggs faces criticism over past decisions
Madeline Murray
August 20, 2026
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), the Republican candidate for Arizona governor, is facing criticism over decisions he made while in office involving child protection and the Colorado City Marshal's Office.
The Copper State War Room held a press conference Thursday with several speakers, including a former state legislator, a domestic violence survivor and victim advocate, a school board member and an attorney.
The group accused Rep. Biggs of failing to do enough to protect children and said Arizona voters deserve an explanation for his decisions.
"A vote for governor is very important and both candidates have records, very clear records," said Debbie McCune Davis, a former state legislator. "They served in public office for a number of years and the contrast is very clear as to who stands up for women and children."
Lauren Easter, a domestic violence survivor and victim advocate, said Biggs should address the concerns raised by survivors and families.
"And I believe Andy Biggs owes survivors and families across Arizona an explanation for the decision he made," Easter said.
The group also criticized Biggs over a bipartisan bill involving the Colorado City Marshal's Office. The legislation would have removed the marshal’s law enforcement authority following allegations of abuse and religious discrimination.
The Arizona House passed the bill, but it never received a vote in the Senate. The group accused Biggs, who was Senate president at the time, of preventing the bill from moving forward.
Stephanie Miller, a Tucson social worker and school board member, said Biggs should have taken action.
"That is why what Andy Biggs did in Colorado City is so utterly reprehensible to me," Miller said. "Andy Biggs knew what was happening to those children."
Clint Smith, an attorney and independent voter, said the issue should be considered by voters ahead of the governor's race.
"I do believe that he is not in favor of a pure democracy where we let things come to a vote," Smith said. "I think this is an important issue for Arizona voters before we go into this Arizona governor's race any further."
American Journal News: Andy Biggs opposed online sex trafficking law
Jesse Valentine
August 27, 2026
Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs was one of only 25 lawmakers to vote against a bill cracking down on online sex trafficking.
Biggs is now his state’s Republican candidate for governor. He will face incumbent Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in the general election.
In 2018, Biggs voted against the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act. The bill had two main components: empowering state authorities to pursue cases against websites that facilitate sex trafficking and creating new federal penalties for promoting prostitution online.
The law passed the House and Senate with broad bipartisan support and was signed into law by President Donald Trump. The legislation was also endorsed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Biggs has come under scrutiny for failing to protect sexual abuse victims in the past.
In 2013, when he was leading the Arizona Senate, Biggs blocked an effort to shut down a local police force that was allegedly protecting a religious sect accused of abusing young girls.
Last year, Biggs voted in committee to block the release of Justice Department files related to the investigation of sex predator Jeffrey Epstein. He ultimately voted to release the files when it came up in a floor vote.
Rep. David Schweikert, who ran against Biggs in the Republican primary for governor, criticized Biggs in June for repeatedly “voting against protecting our children from really, really bad actors.”
A Terrance Group poll from July showed Hobbs leading Biggs by four percentage points.
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