Several women have reportedly leveled serious accusations against Mark Lamb, a 53-year-old Republican candidate running for the US Representative seat in Arizona’s 5th Congressional District. The candidate, who has President Donald Trump’s backing, has been accused of having extramarital affairs and sending obscene texts.
The Arizona Republic report detailed accusations of alleged affairs, nude photographs and claims of swinger culture against Lamb and his wife, Janel Lamb.
Swinging is a form of sexual practice that involves engaging in sexual activities with another couple and single people, as per InStyle. However, Lamb and his wife have repeatedly denied allegations of sexual impropriety and swinging. Attorneys linked to Lamb’s campaign called the accusations “false,” “baseless,” and politically motivated, according to the report.
Lamb is currently viewed as the presumptive Republican nominee for Arizona’s 5th Congressional District, given that he has President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
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Five major things to know about Mark Lamb
1. Mark Lamb built his political image around conservative family values
Lamb garnered national attention as sheriff of Arizona’s Pinal County and a congressional campaign centered heavily on law enforcement credentials and conservative messaging.
He authored a 2020 memoir titled American Sheriff: Traditional Values in a Modern World, while Janel Lamb published a companion-style political memoir called The Sheriff’s Wife: Holding It All Together Behind the Scenes in Politics.
The accusations are especially shocking since they stand in stark contrast to Lamb’s public persona projected for the congressional seat during his political career. The couple is also members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
2. Allegations of affairs, swinging and obscene photos
The Arizona Republic reportedly obtained alleged messages, photos and communications from multiple women connected to Lamb. The report revealed numerous alleged lewd conversations and explicit photos from Lamb’s phone and social media accounts, both before and after he was appointed sheriff in 2017.
Three women from Lamb’s history, “each with a different reason for coming forward,” and a former campaign staff member provided the publication with mountains of private emails.
The report also included allegations that Lamb and his wife exchanged provocative photos and explicit messages with others inside what was described as a small private circle.
3. Lambs’ actions allegedly contributed to the collapse of a marriage
One woman, Jillian Stannard, alleged that Lamb facilitated a relationship between his wife, Janel and Stannard’s then-husband, Matt Hilsabeck, one of Lamb’s close friends and former election committee chair, leading to the collapse of her marriage.
In addition to accusing the Lambs of dissolving her marriage, Stannard said that Lamb unexpectedly sent her a black-and-white photo of his penis. She also alleged that he was a member of a tiny group that traded pictures and sexual favors.
Screenshots purportedly taken from Lamb’s phone show him posing with his shirt off and flexing his muscles while a woman says, “Oh, I want to taste your sweat.”
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4. Mark Lamb’s years-long affair with Tammy Peacock
One of the most serious allegations involves claims that Lamb attempted to stop women from publicly releasing alleged texts and photos.
One woman, Tammy Peacock, claimed she carried on a years-long affair with Lamb and even tattooed his sheriff’s badge onto her body.
The couple allegedly exchanged raucous messages and topless photographs regularly.
In an effort to prevent Tammy Peacock from posting his texts and pictures online, Lamb allegedly threatened to send state police after her. Lamb allegedly told her that it was a “Class 4 felony” and sent her a link to the state’s revenge porn statute.
Lamb’s conversation, according to the Daily Mail, read, “Please just no more posting… I will call DPS [Arizona Department of Public Safety].” Peacock was allegedly informed by Lamb that he could command the DPS to “not proceed.” “My wife says she is okay with that too,” he continued.
Former Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer reportedly confirmed that discussions about possible charges against women publicizing allegations were explored, though no criminal charges were ultimately filed.
5. The allegations have circulated in Arizona politics for years
The controversy is not entirely new. Allegations tied to Lamb’s personal life surfaced during earlier political campaigns, including his sheriff reelection race in 2020, when opponents distributed flyers accusing him of sexual misconduct and sending explicit photos.
The report also referenced a legal filing in which Beth Goulden, chair of Arizona’s Sex Offender Management Board, alleged another Arizona official made comments claiming Lamb and his wife were swingers.
In a sexual discrimination lawsuit, Goulden claimed that Miller had made “inappropriate sexual comments” to her regarding Lamb, saying, “You know Mark and Janel are swingers.”
However, former Arizona Supreme Court justice Andrew Gould, who is currently employed by Lamb’s campaign, told Arizona Republic that stories have “circulated online for years” and that they “are repeated without verification and often to only cause great reputational and political harm.”
Lamb also denied the accusations and dismissed the claims as political gossip.
