Secretary of State Jan Brewer on Oct. 15 announced the appointment of Donald Lindholm to the Citizens Clean Elections Commission.
Lindholm is a lawyer specializing in domestic relations/family law, and lectures on tax issues and enforcement of premarital agreements, according to a press release issued by Brewer. He is with the law firm of Burch and Cracchiolo.
“Don will bring a great deal of fairness, consistency, and knowledge to the Clean Elections process,” said Brewer. “I feel his impressive experience and strong people skills will serve the citizens of Arizona extremely well.”
Lindholm, an independent from Maricopa County, replaces Carl Kunasek, who was appointed to fill a position left open by Tracey Bardorf’s resignation in January 2006.
Kunasek, a Maricopa County Republican who resigned earlier this month, was appointed in February 2006. Lindholm’s inherited term is set to expire on Jan. 31, 2009.
On Oct. 3, Brewer announced she was seeking applications for the position. Due to the current political makeup and locations of residence of the commissioners, Brewer was forced to select either a Republican or independent from any of Arizona’s 15 counties.
State law dictates that no more than two members of the commission may be from the same party or county. Commissioners also must not have sought, been appointed to or elected to public office, or served as an officer for a political party within the past five years prior to being appointed.
Commissioners are also forbidden from serving as political officers, elected officials or lobbyists for three years after their five-year terms expire.
Lindholm joins CCEC Chairman Gary Scaramazzo, an independent from Coconino County; Marcia Busching, a Democrat from Maricopa County; Royann Parker, a Republican from Pima County; and Jeffrey Fairman, a Pinal County Democrat.
The Citizens Clean Elections Commission distributes public campaign funds to statewide and legislative candidates that qualify by collecting a number of $5 contributions.
The agency is also charged with enforcing compliance of candidates’ expenditure limits, and distributing matching funds to publicly funded candidates to equalize spending made by or on behalf of privately funded candidates.
Candidates running for the Legislature in 2008 must collect 220 individual contributions to qualify for public funds, while candidates for Corporation Commissioner must collect 1,650 contributions to receive public campaign funds.