Goldwater Institute Sues Kris Mayes Over Withheld Public Records in Rent Cas

On Wednesday, the Goldwater Institute filed a lawsuit against Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes to compel compliance with Arizona’s Public Records Law alongside American Freedom Network attorney Michael Bloom. 

The institute believes Mayes is withholding information to prevent the release of past documents on numbered complaints that were received by her office last year. The attorney general filed a lawsuit alleging that RealPage and nine major landlords conspired to artificially inflate rents in Phoenix and Tucson, contributing to the state's affordable housing crisis. 

According to Mayes’ lawsuit, residential rents in these cities rose by at least 30% over the previous two years due to RealPage's revenue management software, which collected sensitive pricing and occupancy data from competing landlords and then directed them on which units to rent and at what price. 

The Attorney General claimed this price-fixing conspiracy violated both Arizona's antitrust and consumer fraud laws, as the defendant landlords, including Greystar Management Services, Camden Property Trust, Avenue5 Residential, and six others, shared non-public data with RealPage instead of competing fairly in the market. 

Mayes stated that these illegal practices caused residents to pay millions of dollars more in rent during a time of historic inflation, and emphasized that "RealPage and its co-defendants must be held accountable for their role in the astronomical rent increases forced on Arizonans." 

Goldwater's Concern

However, Goldwater is concerned about the information excluded from Mayes’ lawsuit involving the people who complained, emphasizing that there are “no names, no private information, just a number.”

“I firmly believe in vindicating Arizona’s Public Records Law, which exists to ensure that government remains accountable to the people it serves,” Bloom said. “Transparency is the cornerstone of public trust.”

Following the revelation, the institute reached out to the attorney general’s office for details on the missing information. Mayes’ office claimed they were unable to disclose any information due to confidentiality.

In the lawsuit, Goldwater then explained the issue of confidentiality. Highlighting that the public is entitled to know if there were any consumer complaints. 

The Goldwater Institute stated that it will continue to push for government transparency at all levels to ensure public accountability.