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Zach Buchanan @zhbuchanan.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Last week, the affidavit was promoted by prominent Petersen supporters. Petersen denied having anything to do with it. But he's known about the affidavit for months and recently called New Times to ask whether it would be written about. Story: www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arizona...

Petersen insists his hands are clean of the charge of circulating the allegations against Glassman. Yet he hasn’t shied away from hitting his opponent over the head with them.

“The information didn’t come from my campaign,” Petersen said when New Times contacted him. “But shouldn’t Glassman be more worried about answering why three credible people have now said that he sexually abused children?”

Asked who these “three credible people” were, Petersen mentioned Von Gold, Nazarian and “the woman from Tucson” — apparently the one mentioned in Caldwell’s affidavit. However, he said he knew these people only from the affidavits released on social media, raising the question of how he could have ascertained their credibility.

New Times also asked Petersen if he was aware of the Von Gold affidavit prior to its publication. Petersen replied via text that “I heard some rumors.” But Petersen knew more than that. In fact, Petersen was aware of the Von Gold affidavit as early as late February, because Petersen knew that a confidential source supportive of his campaign had passed an unredacted copy to New Times. Indeed, Petersen recently contacted New Times to ask if the Von Gold affidavit would become the subject of news coverage.

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Zach Buchanan @zhbuchanan.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

For months, New Times has reported on the affidavit and those pushing it. We've talked to Von Gold, Petersen and several of the Petersen supporters who have used Von Gold's claims to push their preferred candidate. Read the story from @stephenlemons.bsky.social:

phoenixnewtimes.com

Petersen allies pushing decades-old, unproven sex claim about Glassman

Warren Petersen supporters have pumped claims about rival AG hopeful Rodney Glassman and filed a formal citizen complaint.

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