The Attorney General’s Office was reviewing what Governor Napolitano’s spokeswoman dismissed as a politically driven complaint about the governor’s picture on advertising billboards and a letter she has prepared to send to parents, welcoming their children back to school.

Republican candidate for governor and attorney John Greene filed a formal complaint with Attorney General Terry Goddard on Aug. 17, requesting a court order to stop Ms. Napolitano from using state funds for tourism billboards with her picture on them and to prevent her from sending the letters, which also carry her photo. Mr. Goddard has 60 days to investigate and take action.

Mr. Greene says the billboards, which are located at several busy intersections in Phoenix and Tucson, and the letters are for the “unlawful” and “blatant” purpose of “influencing an election.”

Mr. Goddard’s office was reviewing the complaint at press time, and Jeanine L’Ecuyer, the governor’s press secretary, merely referred reporters to the bottom of Mr. Greene’s news release, which reads: “Paid for by John Greene for Governor.”

Questioned by reporters Aug. 10 about why her pictures were on the billboards, Ms. Napolitano said, “Well, I’m the governor. If you drove around any state in the United States you would find similar billboards. I’m the elected leader of the state. We want to advertise the state. That’s all there is to it.”

Other governors, including California’s Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michigan’s Jennifer Granholm, have promoted tourism in their states with billboards bearing their portraits. Mr. Schwarzenegger billboards also are posted in Phoenix.

Mr. Greene, a former Senate president, opened his letter of complaint with charges that Ms. Napolitano has committed “flagrant violations of law, breaches of public trust and unethical behavior… ” He wrote that he was filing the complaint “in the interests of a fair election process for myself and other candidates who are or will be running for governor.

Mr. Greene also requests that the attorney general recover the money spent so far on the billboards and letters, plus 20 percent, together with interest and costs, including attorney fees. He also alleged the billboards are ineffective in promoting Arizona, adding, “Either the usually competent and effective Office of Arizona Tourism has totally lost it, or there are other motives for these billboards.”

Rep. Trish Groe, R-3, wrote a letter to Ms. Napolitano Aug. 17, complaining that the governor was using the billboards and school letter to promote her political agenda.

“To better address questions that have been raised about the $150,000 in taxpayer money spent [for billboards]… I ask that you release all memos, e-mails, notes of meetings, correspondence and another other documentation from your administration and the Arizona Office of Tourism relating to this matter,” the letter stated.

Ms. Groe also requested the same information regarding the “Welcome Back to School” letter, intended to be sent home with students attending public schools.

Mr. Greene said other billboards promoting safety belt use and certain public service announcements on radio “reflect a disturbing pattern of abuse.”

He cites language in the proposed school letter as “loaded with self-serving rhetoric” about the governor’s goals of top-quality education, including full-day kindergarten.

Mr. Greene ends his complaint with the allegation the billboards and letter violate Arizona’s campaign finance laws.

If Mr. Goddard does not act on the complaint within 60 days, a private citizen may take the matter to court (ARS Section 35-213). —