Kelli Ward's husband accused of spitting on Martha McSally supporter
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Former U.S. Senate candidate Kelli Ward's husband was accused of spitting in the eye of one of her former volunteers because the volunteer subsequently supported her former political foe, Martha McSally, police records obtained Tuesday show.
The alleged incident happened at the Arizona Republican Party's general-election night gala on Nov. 6 at the Paradise Valley Doubletree Resort.
Paradise Valley police have not filed any criminal charges after taking conflicting reports from Scott Robert Johnston, a 29-year-old mortgage banker from Mesa, Michael Ward, Kelli Ward's husband, and an undisclosed witness who was with Johnston.
Johnston contacted police about the incident that night. It was unclear Tuesday whether the case remained open.
The matter has surfaced as Kelli Ward is trying to attract support for her Jan. 26 bid to become chairwoman of the Arizona Republican Party.
READ MORE: Kelli Ward launches bid for state GOP chair
Ward, a former state senator, has argued to GOP activists that she should lead the party as it tries to unite again after a series of election losses to Democrats up and down the November ballot.
That message would seem at odds with Johnston's account of an embittered Michael Ward lashing out at him for backing McSally, who defeated Kelli Ward in the August Republican Senate primary.
Michael Ward denied touching, pushing, threatening or spitting on Johnston in an email to police. Neither of the Wards could be reached for comment Tuesday about the allegations.
Kyle Pierce, executive director of the Arizona Republican Party, said the alleged incident reflected poorly on Ward's efforts to lead the party.
"It is extremely disappointing to learn about the assault that occurred at the election night watch party hosted by the Arizona Republican Party," he said. "On a night meant to celebrate with our dedicated volunteers who had united behind our Republican candidates, the Wards decided to settle political scores. Her recent calls for unity ring hollow given the attacks on those who unified behind our Republican nominee."
In an interview with The Arizona Republic, Johnston said he had volunteered with Kelli Ward's 2016 primary challenge to the late U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and had attended her 2018 primary-night party. A dour Michael Ward approached Johnston, who was wearing a pro-McSally shirt, at the November event, Johnston said.
"Mike Ward came up to me after a friend of mine had gone up to say hello to him," he told The Republic. "(Ward) started yelling profanities because we were supporting McSally. It was at that point that he said, 'We unfriended you on Facebook because you were supporting McSally. You have no idea what Kelli has done to help McSally,' and some other expletives. It was then that he spit in my eye."
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Michael Ward sent police an email in November responding to Johnston's allegations.
"We have known Scott for several years. We have also known Scott to be a story-teller and attention-seeker," Michael Ward said, according to police reports.
"Mr. Johnston came to the area where my wife and I were standing and I told him to 'F off' and to leave my wife alone," Michael Ward continued. "I may have told him to go to hell. At no time did I touch him, push him, threaten him, spit on him or anything else to him."
A woman Johnston directed to talk to police who was not identified in the reports said Michael Ward berated Johnston but did not intentionally spit.
Michael "Ward walked up to Johnston and she observed as Ward yelled at Johnston," the woman told police.
"I asked her if she ever witnessed Johnston or Ward engage in a physical altercation, and she stated that neither of them ever put hands on either," an investigating officer said in the report.
READ MORE: Ward defends 'Political correctness is like a cancer!' tweet
McSally easily defeated Ward in the state's Aug. 28 primary, but lost the Nov. 6 general election to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema. However, Gov. Doug Ducey later appointed McSally to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.
Michael Ward has intervened angrily on his wife's behalf at political events before.
During the 2016 campaign, Michael Ward made profane comments about a McCain staffer shooting video of his wife, an annoying but common feature of modern campaigns.
In the resulting video, Michael Ward says to another person in the audience, "I'm not trying to block you. I'm just trying to get in the way of this (expletive) right here."
Not long after that incident, the Ward campaign responded with allegations that a McCain staffer had nearly knocked over Kelli Ward's mother. Video of that incident suggests a man inadvertently bumped the woman while he was walking backward taping Kelli Ward.
That led the McCain campaign to release a video that showed Kelli Ward getting into the face of a tracker and blocking his phone camera with her body and her microphone.