Tit for Tat

What is going on with the men in this state?

Randy Pullen, Under Investigation by AG Goddard, Now Calls for Goddard to Be Investigated

By Sarah Fenske in All the Sheriff's Men, News analysis

Thursday, Sep. 3 2009 @ 10:42AM
Phoenix New Times

​Arizona Republican Party Chairman Randy Pullen called for an investigation into Attorney General Terry Goddard at a press conference yesterday -- but failed to mention that Goddard's office is currently investigating Pullen.

In fact, in Pullen's remarks, which you can see in this video posted to www.sonoranalliance.com, the state party chairman actually defends Sheriff's Captain Joel Fox, without mentioning his own involvement in the scandal.

According to documents released in Pinal County Superior Court Monday, Pullen is himself under investigation for his actions in the SCA campaign financing scandal.

As we report in the issue of New Times that hits the streets today,

The AG is looking at the possibility that Fox and his cohorts have committed felonies including fraud schemes and practices by willful concealment, making prohibited political contributions, and money laundering, records show. ...

If the sheriff's officers did, in fact, engage in money laundering, they must have done so with the complicity of the Arizona Republican Party.

[Special Agent Mike] Edwards notes in his affidavit that both Captain Fox and the chairman of the Republican Party, Randy Pullen, insisted to a lawyer hired by the county that the funds were not earmarked to help Arpaio.

Subpoenaed bank records, Edwards notes, shows those statements are false -- "a material misrepresentation in a written document in a matter related to the business conducted by a political subdivision of the State, knowing such statement is false."

In other words, Edwards believes that not only did Fox break the law -- Arizona Republican Chairman Randy Pullen broke it, too.

Pullen called the press conference to allege that both Attorney General Goddard and State Representative Kyrsten Sinema broke Arizona's "resign to run" law by failing to quit their current jobs before announcing plans to run for different posts. Pullen may well have a point -- but the timing is, shall we say, more than a bit suspicious. After all, local blogger Greg Patterson broke news of both politicians' statements, with full context of what laws they may have violated, back in May. And now, four months later, Pullen is suddenly so worked up that he wants a special prosecutor?

Far more believable is that the GOP chairman needed to deflect attention from the damning papers released in Pinal County on Monday. And the sad thing is, his lame-ass attempt worked. The Arizona Republic ran a story about the presser without mentioning the SCA scandal. Even the frickin' Democratic Party didn't put two-and-two together: They issued a really stupid news release claiming that Pullen was trying to deflect attention from Governor Brewer's failure to pass a budget.

Idiots!

What makes the Dems' failure utterly appalling is that Pullen was dumb enough to mention the SCA affair at his press conference. His remarks:

When Mainstream Arizona collected corporate cash to influence elections, the Attorney General's Office agreed to a $5,000 fine and tells Mainstream to be more careful next time. When Joel Fox tries to put together some money to advocate for the integrity of the sheriff's office -- and it's not even corporate money -- Terry Goddard sends around investigators to Fox's home to conduct a search, which turns up nothing. How is that fair? Mainstream Arizona gets a slap on the wrist and a fine -- Joel Fox has his house searched.

Obviously, Pullen is off base in his defense of the fund. (Fox most certainly did collect corporate donations, for one thing -- and we still have no idea what the investigators got in the raid on his house. The case is ongoing.)

But we really can't believe that no one is making that point on Goddard's behalf. With friends like these ... well, let's just say we're a little worried.

Sheriff's Command Association not Under His Command?

Attorney General's Office looking into pro-Arpaio group

Thursday, August 27, 2009, 4:06pm MST  |  

Modified: Friday, August 28, 2009, 2:55pm

Phoenix Business Journal - by Mike Sunnucks
 

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office is investigating a campaign group that supports Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, but won’t disclose details of that inquiry.

The AG’s office is looking into contributions and financial activities involving the Sheriff’s Command Association, a political group headed by Joel Fox, a captain in the sheriff’s office. Fox was fined $450 by the Maricopa County Elections Department and ordered by a Superior Court judge to disclose the names of SCA donors, who include developer Steve Ellman and Freeport McMoran Copper & Gold Inc. Vice Chairman B.M. Rankin.

Arpaio said he is not involved in SCA, which backed his reelection last year and ran ads against opponent Dan Saban.

Arpaio’s critics have asked the Attorney General’s Office to look at whether SCA violated state election laws, including those governing contributions from businesses.

“The SCA matter is under review by our office. I’m not in a position to comment further,” said Anne Hilby, spokeswoman for state Attorney General Terry Goddard.

The Phoenix New Times, a frequent critic of the sheriff, reported Wednesday the AG’s office was issuing search warrants involving SCA. Hilby declined comment on possible warrants and whether a grand jury was being convened or pondered.

Arpaio has had his own investigations into Goddard’s handling of state inquiries into former state Treasurer David Petersen.

Ellman is the CEO of the Ellman Cos., which owns Westgate City Center development in Glendale, and former owner of the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team. Phoenix-based Freeport McMoran is a huge copper mining firm.

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