Insane Political Retaliation in Arizona

Insane Political Retaliation in Arizona

From Beyond the Brief by Institue for Justice

May 14, 2026 · 26 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the political retaliation faced by educator Fernie Madrid during his campaign for school superintendent in Arizona.

When an Arizona educator named “Fernie” Madrid ran for Apache County School Superintendent he had no idea it would lead to stalking, anonymous threatening letters, and even getting assaulted while canvassing. And he was shocked that the person responsible for the harassment was the county attorney.  Today we’re joined by IJ attorneys Ben Field and McCarley Maddock to talk about an outrageous case of First Amendment retaliation and IJ fights for free speech. This is Beyond the Brief.  https://youtu.be/k2bLplHoUyY Become a Monthly Donor Are you looking for a rewarding and consistent way to support IJ’s work?  Become a member of our Merry Band of Monthly Donors and stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients every month of the year. Donate now Related Case https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZIN9M_Sjlg

People in this episode

Guests: Ben Field, McCarley Maddock

Topics covered

  • political retaliation
  • First Amendment
  • free speech
  • harassment
  • education
  • legal case

Keywords

  • political retaliation
  • First Amendment
  • harassment
  • Arizona
  • education
  • Institute for Justice

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Institute for Justice

Places: Arizona, Apache County

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