Fountain Hills Republican Club hosted Congressman David Schweikert and Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel at its November meeting.

Schweikert, who represents LD 23, spoke briefly to the group about the atmosphere in Washington, D.C. He said many in Congress have expressed frustration that no important legislation is being passed due to the impeachment hearings.

He noted that the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is one item that particularly frustrates him.

“Due to the importance of the extension trade between our state and Mexico, I am frustrated,” (about the stall), Schweikert said.

Adel spoke next. She was appointed to the county attorney’s position following the appointment of Bill Montgomery to the state Supreme Court. Adel is the first female to hold the position. She now leads a staff of 900 personnel in the office, which is the third largest in the country.

Adel said her top priority is to “ensure justice in the community and lead the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office with ethical excellence each and every day.”

She said she plans to build on her priorities of protecting victims’ rights and holding criminals accountable. Adel spoke extensively of her support of first responders including her concern over the major uptick in abuse and assault on police officers both nationally and locally.

She added that she plans to focus on developing collaborative relationships with the courts, the sheriff’s office, partners in county government, first responders, the legislature and those in the community who seek to better the criminal justice system.

She said it is important to ensure operational efficiencies and process improvements grounded in evidence-based practices.

Adel graduated from Arizona State University. She began her legal career at the County Attorney’s office where she was an award-winning litigator prosecuting felonies and advocating for victims’ rights.

During her more than seven years as a Deputy County Attorney, she served in the Vehicular Crimes, Gang, and Drug Enforcement bureaus.

Adel was then appointed to executive level leadership positions for Arizona State government from 2011 to 2015. As the Chief Administrative Law Judge for the Arizona Department of Transportation and later as General Counsel for the Arizona Department of Child Safety, she worked to build coalitions and improve policies to help the agencies achieve their missions.

The Fountain Hills Republican Club meets the third Saturday of the month at the Community Center. For more information, visit fountainhillsrepublicanclub.org.