Let’s not sugarcoat it: Senator Wendy Rogers just got shamed into pretending to care about stolen valor — after doing everything in her power to kill a bill that would’ve held military impostors accountable.

The bill in question? SB1424 — the resurrected version of Rep. Walt Blackman’s stolen valor bill, now moving through the Senate after Rogers stalled the original in committee. For weeks, she let the original proposal rot, refusing to even give it a hearing. The reason? Petty politics. Nothing more.

Blackman, a U.S. Army combat vet from Snowflake, crafted the bill to criminalize people who lie about military service to score jobs, contracts, or benefits — especially those who doctor records to fake valor. It had unanimous legislative support… until it hit Wendy’s desk.

Why would Rogers, who loves to cosplay patriotism with military hats and flag pins, block a stolen valor bill? Ask her buddy Steve Slaton — the very fraud this bill would’ve exposed.

The Slaton Scandal Rogers Hoped You’d Forget

Slaton, the disgraced owner of the “Trumped Store” in Show Low, is not a Vietnam combat vet. He told the world he was. He even allegedly altered his DD214, the official military separation document, to make it look like he served in Vietnam. In reality? He was fixing helicopters in Korea.

Guess who endorsed Slaton in his failed 2024 run against Walt Blackman? You already know.

Rogers used her Senate seat to take a revenge swing at Blackman, shelving a bill that would’ve brought justice for veterans — all to protect a political ally caught faking his service.

Now, with Blackman refusing to back down and the public watching closely, Rogers has flip-flopped and says she’ll vote “yes” on SB1424. How brave.

Vets Bled for This Country — Rogers Blocked a Bill to Protect Their Honor

Let’s be crystal clear: This isn’t a free speech issue. This is fraud, plain and simple. Blackman’s bill targets people who impersonate veterans for material gain — not those running their mouth online. It’s designed to pass constitutional muster. The only people sweating are those with something to hide.

And yet Rogers tried to frame it as a First Amendment issue. Funny how suddenly she’s a civil libertarian — except when it comes to banning books, silencing teachers, or investigating imaginary election fraud.

Her game was obvious: Protect Slaton. Spite Blackman. Stall justice.

But after enough heat — and a strike-everything amendment that gave the House a second shot — the bill is alive again, now part of SB1424 thanks to Rep. Blackman and Sen. Shawnna Bolick. The House passed it with near-unanimous support this week. Now it heads back to the Senate for a final vote.

Senate President Warren Petersen has pledged to give it that vote. If it passes, Gov. Katie Hobbs will have the final call.

Final Word

Wendy Rogers tried to protect a stolen valor fraud because it helped her politically. That should disqualify her from holding public office — full stop. Voting “yes” now doesn’t undo the damage. She didn’t lead on this bill. She obstructed it. She didn’t stand with veterans. She stood with a fraud.

The good news? Voters have long memories. And real veterans, like Rep. Blackman, don’t forget who actually has their back.