The following release from the law firm of Henley & Hicks regarding David Petersen’s case was released the afternoon of Oct. 19.
“This press release is meant to clarify events surrounding the Attorney General’s Office investigation of Arizona State Treasurer David Petersen. The Attorney General’s Offce has completed its investigation into allegations concerning the Office of the State Treasurer and/or David Petersen. As a result of their lengthy investigation, the Attorney General’s Office has decided to charge Mr. Petersen with one (1) misdemeanor of Knowingly Filing a False or Incomplete Financial Disclosure Statement.
“Upon being presented with the allegations, the documents in support of the only charged offense and a proposed plea offer, Mr. Petersen determined that he did not seek adequate counsel regarding the preparation of the financial disclosure statement and elected to plead guilty to the charged offense.
“The arraignment is currently scheduled before the Honorable Judge James H. Keppel on Wednesday, October 25, 2006 at 3:00 p.m. The charge and terms of the proposed plea agreement will be available at the October 25 hearing.
“The public should be aware that neither the original allegations nor the charged offense relate to public funds. The disclosure violation which is the basis of the charged offense resulted from Mr. Petersen’s failure to disclose was in no way to deceive the public and involved a small amount of compensation unrelated to his duties as State Treasurer.
“Mr. Petersen acknowledges the thorough investigation performed by the Attorney General’s Office and looks forward to moving on to new challenges. Mr. Petersen also would like to thank his family and friends for providing him guidance and support throughout this investigation.
Craig D. Henley, Esq.
Attorney for David Petersen