County Attorney Allister Adel Should Resign: Maricopa County Dems

PHOENIX, AZ — The Maricopa County Democratic Party is calling for County Attorney Allister Adel's resignation after she announced last week that she had entered treatment for alcohol abuse and an eating disorder.

“While MCDP is empathetic to County Attorney Adel’s health concerns and wishes her a speedy recovery, Adel cannot lead the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) in a rehabilitation center," said Nancy Schriber, chair of the Maricopa County Democratic Party in a news release. "MCDP urges County Attorney Allister Adel to resign immediately. Recovery is a full-time job that requires complete dedication and commitment. She cannot focus on her recovery while simultaneously head an agency of over 1,000 employees."

Adel announced Friday her decision to seek treatment saying in a statement, "I have a challenging journey ahead to do better and be better for my friends, family, staff, this community and ultimately myself."

While the local Democratic Party called Adel's decision to seek treatment a brave one, it also characterized her tenure as county attorney as "rife with controversy."

"Underlining her calamitous leadership is the disastrous decision to prosecute Black Lives Matter community activists as ‘gang members,’" Schriber said in the news release. "If it weren’t for Mass Liberation AZ, movement lawyers, directly impacted individuals, courageous journalists, and other partner organizations, several community members would be charged with felonies and jailed for years."

Adel's team, in conjunction with law enforcement, chose to charge 15 people who protested police brutality last October with being members of a criminal street gang. The protesters were indicted on those charges by a Grand Jury, but after a public outcry the charges were dropped.

The Maricopa County Democratic Party says that Adel cannot fully focus on her recovery while also leading the county attorney's office.

"I am in daily contact with my leadership team while seeking treatment to ensure the important business of the Maricopa County Attorney's Office continues," Adel said in the statement.

Adel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.