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Was a candidate for Maricopa Community College District Governing Board arrested for alleged sexual indecency?

By Austin Tannenbaum
YES

Randy Kaufman, Republican candidate for Maricopa Community College District Governing Board, was arrested earlier this month on charges of sexual indecency for masturbating in his truck in a parking lot across the street from a preschool. When the officer who encountered Kaufman expressed alarm that there were children nearby, Kaufman responded that he had been watching pornography on his cell phone and did not notice the preschool. Prior to the incident, Kaufman said in a Facebook post that he wanted “children protected (from) the progressive left.”

Kaufman has since suspended his campaign, stating, "A personal legal matter has recently arisen and I need to step out of the race to focus on personal affairs."

Early-voting ballots with his name have already been cast. Without an official statement of withdrawal (which Kaufman has yet to submit), his votes will be counted.

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