Felecia Rotellini

Felecia Rotellini

Rotellini, Felecia (Democrat)

Phone: (602) 881-0310
Email: felecia@feleciaforarizona.com
Website: www.FeleciaforArizona.com
3444 N. 49th St., Phoenix, AZ 85018
(Mail: PO Box 80025, Phoenix, AZ 85060)

Age: 52 (10/05/57, Sheridan, WY).

Arizona since: 1986.

Occupation: Attorney, Zwillinger Greek Zwillinger Knecht PC, since 2009; superintendent, AZ Department of Financial Institutions, 2006-09; assistant superintendent, AZ Department of Financial Institutions, 2005-06 ; prosecutor, AZ Attorney General’s Office (criminal and civil divisions), 1992-05; trial attorney, private sector, 1986-92.

Marital: Divorced.

Religious preference: Catholic.

Education: J.D., University of Notre Dame College of Law, 1986; B.S., history/political science, Rocky Mountain College, 1981. Political experience: Precinct committeeman; volunteered on many campaigns.

Memberships have included: Boys and Girls Club of Metro Phoenix Foundation; AZ State Bar; Wyoming State Bar.

Interests: Outdoor activities, hiking and backpacking, reading, travel, weight training.

Issues:

Political influence: My parents, who, despite not being able to get a higher education, provided a wonderful life for our family through their tenacity, hard work, and sheer love. They ran a small business on Main Street in my hometown. They taught me the ethics of integrity, dedication, and community service. They taught me to always strive to be the best I can be and always give back to the community.

Changes to duties: I will maintain the powers and duties of the AG’s office as designated in the state Constitution and in the statutes. Rather than changing the core responsibilities of the office, I will seek out innovative ways and the resources necessary to carry out those duties. I will work on legislation to enhance the Office’s abilities to keep Arizona families safe and secure. In addition, especially in these harsh economic times for state government, I will be creative about obtaining the resources to fulfill my dutie. For example, when I served as an assistant attorney general, we frequently used retired police officers, who volunteered to pose as buyers of products or services being thrust upon our citizens by fraudulent companies. I will reinvigorate that program.

Top priority: My top priority will be to keep Arizonans physically safe and economically secure. I will: 1) Prosecute and prevent violent crimes against Arizonans; 2) Prosecute mortgage, financial, and consumer fraud, and create an Elder Affairs Unit in the Consumer Protection Section; 3) Protect Arizona families, the elderly, and our most vulnerable; 4) Secure our border: nothing illegal comes across our border, whether it’s drugs, guns, money or people.

Minimum sentencing: When wisely enacted and justly administered, mandatory minimum sentences are effective, particularly in prosecuting violent crimes. Unfortunately, as a result of some mandatory minimum sentences, our prisons house a substantial amount of non-violent offenders. While punishment and justice for victims must not be compromised, we can seek additional methods of serving one’s sentence without causing taxpayers to essentially pay twice for someone’s crimes. We must ensure a wise use of our resources while justice is served.

Background & experience: The AG must oversee criminal and civil prosecutions and manage the largest law firm in the state. I am the only candidate that has mastered all three of these fundamental requirements. No other candidate has my diverse and in-depth experience as a veteran prosecutor, hands-on trial attorney, and financial and consumer watchdog. I served as an assistant attorney general for 13 years, working with three attorneys general. While working in both the Criminal and Civil divisions, I was the lead litigator for the state against the national accounting firm of Arthur Anderson for its role in one of the state’s largest financial frauds, the Baptist Foundation of Arizona. I am the only candidate to have worked in the Criminal Division of the Office, actually appearing before the state Grand Jury, indicting and convicting Arizona criminals and putting them in prison. In 2006, Gov. Napolitano appointed me the superintendent of the Department of Financial institutions, where I partnered with the FBI and HUD to crack down on mortgage fraud and worked with the Legislature to get unscrupulous loan officers out of the mortgage industry through the licensing of loan originators. I have a record of getting results for Arizonans, and it is a record that I will bring to the AG’s Office where I will continue my life’s work and passion of fighting for Arizona families.

Prop. 100 sales tax: I supported Prop. 100. Its passage was vital to keep police officers on the street at a time when we need them the most. Without the tax, our public safety would have been severely compromised. At the same time, in bad economic times it is important that all government agencies do more with less, looking for ways to cut waste and improve inefficiencies.

Campaign finance: private.