The City of Phoenix’s far-left City Council quietly voted last Wednesday to unanimously approve a plan to send hundreds of firearms, valued at an estimated $200,000, to Ukraine.
The Council consists of eight members, elected by their district, and the Mayor representing the city at large. Radical left Mayor Katie Gallego and Council members approved nearly 150 agenda items, including the firearms transfer agreement, in one swift motion.
Firearms that were lost or forfeited following a court order and remain in the city’s possession for 30 days or more will be given away to Biden, the Democrats, and the Globalists’ favorite in the escalating war.
According to ARS 12-945, when a firearm is unclaimed, “the agency shall sell the firearm to any business that is authorized to receive and dispose of the firearm under federal and state law and that shall sell the firearm to the public according to federal and state law.” In accordance with the statute, the proceeds from the sale are paid to the city’s general fund.
However, the new plan states that Phoenix will “transfer” these guns through a private company. It is unclear whether donating firearms to a foreign country is legal.
As noted by a local Twitter user, this decision received little to no media coverage or statements from city officials.
KJZZ reports,
Phoenix leaders have unanimously approved a plan to send firearms to police in Ukraine. It’s the first time the City Council has approved donating unclaimed firearms outside the U.S.
Arizona law requires cities to sell forfeited firearms — that includes handguns, rifles and shotguns turned into police after courts ordered the owners to forfeit them. But there is no requirement for unclaimed firearms — essentially they end up in the police department’s lost and found. After 30 days, Phoenix can sell or donate them.
The city expects to ship between 500 and 600 firearms valued at about $200,000 to the National Police of Ukraine. It’s a law enforcement agency approved by the U.S. Department of Commerce to receive them. A Phoenix spokesperson said the National Police of Ukraine previously received unclaimed firearms from the Miami Police Department.
According to a Phoenix council report, “Only 9mm, 45mm, 39mm and 12 gauge firearms will be sent.”
As noted by Arizona Daily Independent, D.T. Gruelle, the company contracted to transfer the firearms, partneres with the Ukrainian Arsenal of Liberty, which “was formed by members of the Ukrainian Parliament to procure firearms in the U.S. to equip Ukrainian citizens to better defend themselves and increase the country’s defenses against hostility.”
Arizona Daily Independent reports,
“Armed civilians are the first line of defense,” the website notes, adding that training and arming the civilian Ukrainians “is the best form of protection” from foreign invasion.
“We aim to gear and train Ukrainian noncombatants to effectively protect themselves by soliciting American citizens to donate firearms, ammunition, and support equipment,” the UAL website adds.
The Phoenix City Council could require that any contract with D.T. Gruelle contain safeguards to ensure donated guns intended for Ukraine’s police professionals do not end up owned by Ukrainian citizens or used for other purposes.
Arizona Republicans quickly chimed in, calling it “Fast and Furious Part 2” and “absolutely absurd.” They further slammed the Council for wasting city resources and providing weapons “with no accountability re: who obtains them.”
As domestic abuse survivor and former Phoenix mayoral candidate Merissa Hamilton noted, the Democrats would be furious if the guns were given or sold to endangered, law-abiding Americans.