Paul Petersen was a Republican elected county assessor in Maricopa County, Arizona. He was charged with human smuggling and selling babies in 2019 and pled guilty in 2020.
The Marshall Islands passed a law banning traveling to the United States for adoption to end the exploitative adoption industry. Peterson created a work-around. He paid pregnant women to come to the U.S., give birth here, and then give their babies up for adoption.
- KSL: Utah AG charges Arizona elected official with felony human smuggling
- AZ Central: ‘Turned adoption on its head’: Utah judge sentences Paul Petersen on human smuggling charges
- FOX 10: Paul Petersen: Ex-Maricopa County assessor imprisoned for adoption scheme loses appeal
Arizona Republic
Phoenix, Arizona · Saturday, January 23, 2021