Arizona: Susan Bitter Smith

Sheriff’s deputies have attempted to question the creators of a legal defense fund for indicted Maricopa County Supervisor Don Stapley, asking them whether they were promised anything in return, the Tribune has learned.

Deputies began contacting those involved in the seven-member trust on Friday. The Stapley Legal Expense Trust was created earlier this month to raise money to help pay for Stapley’s defense against the 118 charges he faces as the result of an indictment announced in December by Sheriff Joe Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas.

Stapley: Indictment 'Will be a nightmare'

Wolfswinkel office searched in Stapley probe

Board curbs Thomas access to public records

Of the six trustees reached by the Tribune, all but one confirmed that sheriff’s investigators had either spoken with them or made attempts to contact them.

Laura Knaperek has endorsed apparent 5th Congressional District Republican primary winner David Schweikert.

David Schweikert will win the 5th Congressional District Republican primary, PolitickerAZ.com projects.

With 97.6 percent of precincts reporting, Schweikert tops the six-person field with just under 30 percent of the vote. Susan Bitter Smith, who has kept pace with him throughout the night, currently has 28 percent of the vote, but it will not be enough to overcome Schweikert's lead.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – As Grand Canyon State voters headed out to the polls today, the state’s Republican Party chair speculated that the GOP primary in the 5th Congressional District was a jump ball between two candidates.

“My understanding is that it’s pretty much a dead-heat between” former Maricopa County Treasurer David Schweikert and former Scottsdale City Councilwoman Susan Bitter Smith, Arizona Republican Party Chairman Randy Pullen told PolitickerAZ.com today.