Defiant Quelland fails to pay fine

Former Rep. Doug Quelland (File photo)

The saga surrounding the removal of former House member Doug Quelland from the Legislature isn’t over quite yet.

In addition to his removal from office for violating Clean Elections spending laws, the Citizens Clean Elections Commission also leveled a fine of $31,000 against the former Legislative District 10 representative.

The commission threatened “legal remedies” if it didn’t receive the payment within 30 days of a letter it sent back in August.

But Quelland hasn’t paid a dime, and he told the Arizona Capitol Times he has no intention of doing so until he gets his “due process.”

“Read the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. That’s my reason,” a defiant Quelland said when asked why he hasn’t complied with the demand.

“See, according to the U.S. Constitution, they cannot deny me of life, liberty or personal property without due process,” he said.

The Commission has forwarded the matter to the Attorney General’s Office after failing to elicit a reply from Quelland.

The Commission ordered Quelland to be removed from office late last year after finding that he paid a consultant $15,000, in violation of rules for publicly-funded candidates.

The courts upheld the Commission’s ruling, and the secretary of state declared the seat vacant last May. Quelland dropped his appeal of the Superior Court ruling in July.

Quelland sought reelection this year, but was defeated.