Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) has departed her state for an undisclosed location as part of a secretive week-long work trip, the Associated Press reported on Monday.
On Tuesday, her office confirmed that she’d visited Army combat medic Mason Steill at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. the day before, but declined to give any further details about her whereabouts.
Brewer left Arizona on Sunday, missing an event to certify election ballots. Secretary of State Ken Bennett, who is serving as acting governor in her absence as mandated by the Arizona Constitution, filled in for Brewer at the proceeding after being told last week that she wouldn’t be there to fulfill her duty. She’s expected to return to the state on Saturday.
Her mysterious disappearance and decision to neglect to attend the certification of the recent elections quickly drew a rebuke from Arizona Democrats.
“It is disappointing that the state’s top elected official seems to have such little interest in the results of this election,” Democratic House Minority Leader Chad Campbell said, according to the Associated Press.
UPDATE: 5:10 p.m. — The Hill tracked down Arizona’s two senators, neither of whom had any idea where Brewer might be.
“No, everybody keeps asking me that,” Kyl told The Hill. “I didn’t know she was missing.”
McCain answered similarly, saying he hadn’t known about the issue until Kyl had recently mentioned it to him.
UPDATE: 12/5 8:30 a.m. — Bloomberg reports that Brewer is in Afghanistan to meet with troops, according to a “person familiar with the governor’s schedule.”
Gawker has a few satirical guesses as to Brewer’s whereabouts, including hiking “the Appalachian Trail” (shoutout to former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford) and “John McCafee’s hideout.”