Former Arizona Democratic Party Vice Chair and DSA Transgender Activist Arrested Over Disputed Kink ‘Scene’ Involving Knife, Tape, and Gloves

Democratic Socialists of America organizer, transgender activist, and former Arizona Democratic Party Vice Chair Brianna Westbrook was arrested July 10 following an alleged domestic incident at the Phoenix residence of a former partner, according to 12News.

 The former partner contacted police after the alleged encounter and told investigators that Westbrook “pushed” into the residence while carrying a knife and duct tape, according to court records reported by 12News. 

Westbrook and the former partner allegedly wrestled before Westbrook pushed the former partner onto a couch. The former partner screamed and asked Westbrook to stop before Westbrook left the residence, according to the report. Officers subsequently detained Westbrook.

Westbrook described the incident to officers as a “big misunderstanding” and allegedly said the encounter was part of a “scene” being acted out, according to 12News. The former partner disputed Westbrook’s explanation and told police that no agreement existed to recreate any such scene.

Officers obtained a search warrant and allegedly recovered “a knife, tape and gloves.” Westbrook was booked into the Maricopa County jail, and bond was set at $15,000, according to the court records cited by 12News. 

The allegations have not been proven in court.

Disputed Claims Of A BDSM ‘Scene’

The term “scene” has a specific meaning within kink and BDSM communities. Johns Hopkins University defines a kink scene as a planned kink dynamic or activity in which sexual activity may or may not occur. The university’s guidance states that scenes are negotiated in advance and that consent must be maintained throughout the activity. 

Consent is considered central to BDSM practices. A peer-reviewed review indexed by the National Library of Medicine examines consent, safety precautions, and consent violations within BDSM. Psychology Today summarizes recommended practices as including prior agreement about specific activities and the continuing ability of every participant to withdraw consent. 

The police account presents conflicting claims over whether any agreement existed. Westbrook allegedly characterized the encounter as an acted-out scene, while the former partner allegedly denied agreeing to the activity and reported asking Westbrook to stop.

Political Accounts Linked To Adult Content Persona

Westbrook’s public social-media presence provides relevant context for the terminology attributed to Westbrook in the police account.

A 2022 BallotReady candidate profile lists the Instagram account @bwestbrookaz8 among Westbrook’s “Verified Webpages,” alongside Westbrook’s campaign website, Facebook page, and political account on X. 

Screenshots reviewed during reporting show that the @bwestbrookaz8 Instagram account and Westbrook’s corresponding Threads profile displayed links labeled “Meet Harley” that directed users to HarleyDeVil.com. The account-controlled links connect Westbrook’s established political social-media presence to an adult-performance persona operating under the name Harley DeVil (@HarleyDeVil666).

The Harley DeVil website describes the persona as a transgender queer performer producing erotic material and “creating scenes rooted in chemistry, consent, fantasy, and raw visual intensity.” The website is marked for adults only and links to associated accounts on OnlyFans, Instagram, X, and TikTok. 

 The linked OnlyFans account advertises paid subscription content under the Harley DeVil name. The associated X profile describes the account as adult-only, while a June 28 post used the hashtags “dominatrix,” “transgender,” and “performer.”

Westbrook’s primary Instagram account also contained publicly visible BDSM-related material when reviewed during reporting. One post displayed bondage and impact-play equipment. A June 13 post stated, “Seeking a well-behaved playdate,” and included the hashtags “softdomme” and “wlw.”

The term “soft domme” generally describes a dominant BDSM role characterized by a gentler and more emotionally attentive approach to dominance, according to an explanation published by Men’s Health.

The public accounts and linked adult-performance pages provide context for Westbrook’s alleged use of the specialized term “scene” while speaking with police. The material does not establish what occurred during the July 10 incident, demonstrate that the former partner agreed to participate in any activity, or resolve the conflicting accounts described in the court records.

Democratic Socialist And Party Leadership

Westbrook’s involvement with the Democratic Socialists of America extends beyond receiving an organizational endorsement.

Westbrook’s current political website, ResistRevolt.com, identifies Westbrook as an “American socialist.” The website also promotes Puente Arizona’s “Migra Watch” program and displays a hotline for reporting activity by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The BallotReady profile lists Westbrook as an at-large officer of the Phoenix Democratic Socialists of America from 2017 through 2021 and as Southwest co-chair of the DSA Immigrant Rights National Working Group beginning in 2019.

The same profile lists Westbrook as national organizing director for Progressive Democrats of America, a national surrogate for the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign from 2019 through 2020, political director for Equality Arizona in 2019, and vice chair of the Arizona Democratic Party from 2019 through 2021. 

Campaigns And Political Endorsements

Westbrook unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for Arizona’s Eighth Congressional District during the 2018 special election, losing to Hiral Tipirneni by 20.5 percentage points. Republican Congresswoman Debbie Lesko ultimately won the seat, defeating Tipirneni.

Westbrook subsequently ran for the Arizona Senate in Legislative District 22 in 2018 and the Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 5 in 2022 and was defeated in both primary elections. Transparency USA lists three candidate committees associated with the state campaigns: Brianna Westbrook for Arizona, People for Brianna, and Westbrook for Arizona. 

Westbrook’s 2018 legislative campaign attracted support from multiple Democratic lawmakers and several progressive political organizations.

In an “updated list of official campaign endorsements” published by the campaign, Westbrook identified four then-sitting Democratic state representatives as endorsers: Athena Salman, Isela Blanc, Tony Navarrete, and Mark Cardenas.

 Arizona state records show that all four were serving in the House during the endorsement period. Salman and Blanc represented Legislative District 26, Navarrete represented Legislative District 30, and Cardenas represented Legislative District 19. 

The campaign endorsement list also included Our Revolution, People for Bernie, the Arizona AFL-CIO, the Communications Workers of America Arizona Council, Indivisible of Greater Peoria, Phoenix DSA, NARAL Pro-Choice Arizona, Planned Parenthood of Arizona, Women Under Forty PAC, LEAP Forward, and the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter. The campaign also identified Westbrook as a Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate.

Westbrook’s 2022 Arizona House campaign received additional support from progressive organizations. LPAC endorsed Westbrook and later reported that the campaign had endorsements from “several state and local elected officials,” although LPAC did not identify those officials by name. 

In a candidate statement submitted for the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission’s 2022 voter guide, Westbrook said prominent national LGBTQ and feminist organizations and Courage to Change PAC, founded by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., had “endorsed and recognized” the campaign. The available documentation attributes the support to Ocasio-Cortez’s political action committee and does not establish a personal endorsement from Ocasio-Cortez.

Arizona Democrats nominated Westbrook for two separate Legislative District 5 vacancies in 2024. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors selected Sarah Liguori to replace former state Rep. Jennifer Longdon and Charles Lucking to replace former state Rep. Amish Shah.

Previous Arrest And Public Response

Westbrook was previously arrested in October 2018 during a protest at then-Sen. Jeff Flake’s (R-AZ) Phoenix office over the confirmation proceedings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

In a first-person account published by the ACLU of Arizona, Westbrook said four protesters were arrested for trespassing and held at the Fourth Avenue Jail. The charges were dismissed later that month; however, Westbrook claimed to have been mistreated by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office due to being transgender. 

No detailed public statement concerning the July 10 allegations appeared on the public accounts reviewed for this report as of publication.