Arizona State University (ASU) is under fire and facing mounting political and public pressure after newly released bombshell emails revealed clear evidence of pro-Hobbs political bias during the 2022 gubernatorial race. It shows that top ASU officials worked to secure solo media access in the form of a candidate-friendly Arizona PBS interview for Hobbs, bypassing a planned debate with Republican candidate Kari Lake. The revelations have prompted Lake to call for ASU President Michael Crow to be fired, accusing the taxpayer-funded university and its media arm of “blatant election interference” and infringing on her First Amendment rights.

The Arizona Republic obtained emails showing Crow and Mi-Ai Parrish, former Arizona Republic publisher-turned-ASU-media-executive, working behind the scenes to ensure that Hobbs got prime airtime after ducking the debate. In one telling exchange, Crow wrote, “Whatever the format, there remains the fact that it is our venue and brand. We need structure…and format…….and…. people who believe in elections as participants.” Parrish shot back: “What outcome are you seeking?”

Lake says the answer is obvious: “Taxpayer-funded Michael Crow and taxpayer-funded ASU, along with taxpayer-funded PBS, colluded to prevent me from having a debate forum. Their actions were not just unethical; they were likely illegal, too. The 2022 election in Arizona was compromised in so many ways. This is just another piece of the puzzle.”

The emails just proved what Lake claimed to know in 2022: that some in the Arizona media had their finger on the scale in the gubernatorial race. In a 2022 social media post, Lake said, “This decision by PBS & ASU President Michael Crow is disgraceful, and ‘broke a longtime shared practice…'”

The fallout has been swift. Critics say the emails blow a hole in PBS’s claim of journalistic independence. Tom Collins, executive director of the Clean Elections Commission, called Parrish’s stance “a shock,” particularly coming from someone representing public media, warning that “viewpoint‑based distinctions between speakers are not something that public entities should be lightly contemplating.”

Lake said on social media, “@michaelcrow, @ASU, and @azpbs colluded to rob me of my First Amendment rights, deny me a platform to speak to Arizonans, and committed election interference to benefit @katiehobbs. These are taxpayer-funded institutions, and they should be investigated.”

With political pressure mounting, calls for Crow’s resignation are growing louder. Lawmakers and media watchdogs are already pushing for legislative oversight hearings and independent investigations into whether ASU’s meddling crossed legal lines.