The Arizona Democratic Party was on high alert during the past weekend after a credit card issued to Congressman John Shadegg's campaign was found under the front desk of a Democratic Party office.

But what started out with all the grand drama of a Watergate scandal ended a few hours later when a Shadegg campaign worker announced he had stopped at the Democrat office to buy some Obama memorabilia.

The card, issued to a senior Shadegg campaign operative, lists Shadegg's re-election organization and was found near Democratic campaign materials, Arizona Democratic Party Executive Director Maria Weeg said October 20. She said reports were filed with the Tempe Police Department and the credit card company.

"We let Congressman Shadegg know we found his credit card and requested Shadegg promptly explain what a member of his staff was doing in our office and how his campaign credit card arrived in our office," Weeg said in a statement released by the Arizona Democratic Party.  

She also posed the following questions. "How did his campaign credit card arrive in a Democratic Party office? What was a member of his congressional and campaign staff doing in the office? Did his staff member access any information in the office or remove any materials – and, if so, will he return this information and materials?" 

Shadegg's campaign replied that the lost credit card was issued to Joan Hosey, the campaign treasurer, and was given to Ryan Anderson, a campaign worker, to purchase office supplies. 

"That afternoon, Anderson was in the Tempe area and saw signs on the street marking the Obama campaign office. He went in to get a bumper sticker and, apparently, the credit card fell out of his pocket as he was pulling out his cash to pay for the bumper sticker," Shadegg's office stated.

The campaign canceled the card on Oct. 19 when it was discovered it had been lost.

Anderson has taken a leave of absence from DeMenna & Associates to work on the Shadegg campaign. He is an unpaid deputy campaign manager.

Emily DeRose, spokesperson of the Arizona Democrat Party, said she found the explanation "laughable."

"Not only does Ryan Anderson work for one of the most stridently Republican members of Congress, he also coordinated events for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. Hardly the profile of an Obama supporter," she said. "Additionally, people who buy bumper stickers are required to fill out a form because it is a campaign contribution. We have no such form for Ryan Anderson."

Anderson told the Arizona Capitol Times he was just collecting memorabilla.

Anderson said he was out and about yesterday in Tempe and saw a sign that said Democratic event. "I stepped in (to see) what was going on," he said. He went in, talked to someone on the front desk briefly and asked to buy an Obama bumper sticker, he said.

"I pulled two bucks out of my pocket, and at that point, the credit card apparently fell out and I guess they found it. I didn't realize at that moment that I had lost the credit card," he said.

Anderson said he only realized he did so when he went to buy items for the office later on.

Anderson said he told the staff about it and the Shadegg campaign promptly cancelled the credit card.

Still, the Democratic Party has insisted that Anderson did not buy a sticker because they have no record of the purchase. The Democratic Party requires that individuals fill out contribution forms when they buy bumper stickers, DeRose wrote in an e-mail.

There was no conspiracy here, said Anderson.

Why was a Republican buying an Obama bumper sticker?

"I collect memorabilia," he said.