Did Kamala’s Campaign Exploit Arizona Student Data? Over 150,000 Students Targeted with Pro-Kamala Texts

Recent reports indicate that thousands of students across Arizona’s public universities have received unsolicited text messages from the Kamala Harris campaign, urging them to support her and Tim Walz. This development raises serious questions about the potential misuse of student data and possible collusion between the campaign and state universities.

The source of the Harris campaign’s access to the phone numbers of current students, alumni, and parents remains unclear. If this information was not obtained through appropriate channels, it could constitute a violation of Arizona law. Arizona State Representative and Vice Chairman of the Arizona House Elections Committee, Alex Kolodin, stated, “ARS 16-192 prohibits using state resources to influence the results of an election, and if this list was made available to only the Harris campaign by the universities, that would potentially be a violation of this statute.”

Reports from the ASU College Republicans indicate that approximately 150,000 students from all Arizona universities, including Arizona State University (ASU) and the University of Arizona (UofA), have received these texts. The alarming implication is that the Harris campaign may have access to the personal data of every college student in Arizona. The College Republicans further noted that Northern Arizona University (NAU) is the third institution implicated in this data-sharing situation.

In response to these allegations, an ASU spokesman clarified, “The contact information of enrolled students (including their cell phone numbers) is a matter of public record. This is not ASU policy. Under FERPA, it is considered ‘directory information,’ along with other basic information like the student’s major, dates of attendance, and enrollment status. It is common for entities that want to advertise to ASU students to request this publicly available contact information – everything from apartment complexes, to credit cards, to political candidates. Any student who does not want their directory information to be released may file a form requesting that their information be withheld.”

Despite this explanation, the political climate at ASU has raised eyebrows. The university has a reputation for its liberal leanings, with previous incidents highlighting a pattern of hostility towards conservative viewpoints. For instance, a professor associated with the university faced backlash for her involvement in Drag Story Hour Arizona, and conservative events have been met with protests and administrative pushback.

The Gateway Pundit has previously reported on various instances of perceived bias at ASU, including the controversial decision by Arizona PBS to provide Katie Hobbs with free airtime during the 2022 midterm elections, circumventing a debate with her opponent, Kari Lake. Such actions have led to concerns about the integrity of the electoral process within the state.

Adding to the complexity of the situation, Caroline Wren, a political advisor in Arizona, noted that “there is no attorney” available to challenge the legality of the Harris campaign’s acquisition of student data. This lack of legal representation raises further concerns about the oversight of election-related issues in the state.

As the situation unfolds, the implications of this outreach by the Harris campaign warrant close scrutiny, particularly regarding the ethical use of student information and the potential for election interference.