Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes Served on Board of Energy Nonprofit Operating in China

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes served on the board of the Energy Foundation while the nonprofit administered programs in China, maintained a Beijing office, and reported a financial account in the People’s Republic of China, according to IRS filings and records circulated by researcher Brian Anderson.

Mayes joined the foundation’s board in 2012 and later served on the board of the separate United States Energy Foundation. The organizations’ China and U.S. operations formally separated in 2019, according to Energy Foundation China’s account of its history.

A compilation published by Anderson lists $157,500 in compensation to Mayes across nine reporting years between 2012 and 2021, including $88,000 in 2013. The compilation identifies the original Energy Foundation, EIN 94-3126848, as the source for its 2012–2019 entries and the United States Energy Foundation, EIN 83-1740146, for 2020 and 2021. It identifies Mayes as “not listed” in 2017.

BREAKING: @KrisMayes was decade-long board member of a group under scrutiny for its ties to the Chinese Communist Party

While she was on the board, it operated a Beijing office, foreign bank account, and funded "capacity building" in China.

You won't believe the details. (1/5) pic.twitter.com/wzISlUXblS

— Brian Anderson (@AZBrianAnderson) November 3, 2026

The foundation’s 2012 return lists Mayes as a board member receiving $31,500 in reportable compensation. Its 2016 return lists $3,000. The separate U.S. foundation’s 2021 return lists Mayes as a board member receiving $3,750.

In its 2012 foreign-account disclosure, the Energy Foundation answered yes when asked whether it had an interest in, or signature or other authority over, a financial account in another country. It identified the country as the People’s Republic of China. The disclosure concerned the organization’s account.

A program-service entry in that return reported $5,274,504 in expenses supporting its grantmaking in China. The foundation described those expenses as including “the salary and benefits of thirty staff members, office rental, equipment charges, and other expenses related to maintaining the foundation’s Beijing program office.”

The entry said the foundation administered Energy Foundation China, which advanced policy efforts in transportation, buildings, industry, electric utilities, renewable energy, low-carbon development, environmental management, and sustainable cities.

Later filings continued to describe the foundation’s China operations. The 2016 return reported salary and benefits for 43 staff members associated with its Beijing program office. The 2017 return described 45 staff members.

The 2016 return also reported $415,000 in program expenses supporting Gehl Architects’ consultancy work on city-retrofit pilot and policy-development projects.

An excerpt from the foundation’s 2019 return circulated with Anderson’s materials lists Ji Zou as CEO beginning April 17, 2019, and Mayes as a board member receiving $6,000. Their inclusion in the annual return does not specify the precise period during which their service overlapped.

The Energy Foundation announced Mayes’ appointment on April 11, 2012. ASU reported the appointment the following month, identifying her as faculty director of its Program on Law and Sustainability and noting her service on the Arizona Corporation Commission from 2003 to 2010.

The foundation’s appointment announcement credited Mayes with helping develop Arizona’s renewable-energy and energy-efficiency standards.

Energy Foundation China describes itself as a U.S.-based charitable organization with a Beijing representative office. It says it does not receive funding from governments or political parties and is not controlled by either.

The distinction between the two foundations also applies to grants benefiting Arizona State University. The United States Energy Foundation’s 2021 return lists a $100,000 grant to the ASU Foundation for education and outreach supporting a clean-energy future.

A November 3 assessment circulated with state Rep. John Gillette’s comments separately identifies $150,000 in U.S. Energy Foundation grants to the ASU Foundation during 2022–2024. The assessment states that the records reviewed do not establish improper conduct by Mayes, Chinese government control of ASU, or a China-origin funding path to the university.

Gillette responded to the disclosures on X, saying related concerns had been raised during House Federalism Committee proceedings in March 2025. He also alleged that Gov. Katie Hobbs used remaining COVID funds to replace budget reductions he supported.

Again… told you so. We exposed this and more in March 2025 in the House Federalism Committee.

This is why I moved for more oversight and budget cuts. We cut the budget, but shady Katie Hobbs backfilled the cuts with left over COVID funds.

Again China, and Democrats win… https://t.co/Akctos6vKi pic.twitter.com/Kwl3quQMuq

— Rep. John Gillette AZ House LD30 (@AzRepGillette) November 3, 2026

“Again… told you so. We exposed this and more in March 2025 in the House Federalism Committee. This is why I moved for more oversight and budget cuts,” Gillette wrote. “We cut the budget, but shady Katie Hobbs backfilled the cuts with left over COVID funds. Again China, and Democrats win and tax payers lose.”