House begins probes into sexual harassment claims against Rep. Shooter
“Multiple investigations” are underway at the Arizona House as Speaker J.D. Mesnard and staff members respond to a growing list of sexual harassment accusations lodged against GOP Rep. Don Shooter.
Groups no longer required to disclose money sources to Secretary of State’s Office
A federal judge late Friday voided state laws requiring groups to register before spending money on campaigns - and with it, the reports they're supposed to file on who is behind all that cash.
Capitol Quotes: October 31, 2014
This week's most outstanding quips, gibes and utterances from Arizona's political scene.
‘Dark money’ may get darker if judge strikes down AZ disclosure laws
A federal judge is being asked to rule that “dark money” groups that now don’t disclose the source of their contributions can also legally hide how they’re spending the money – and on whose behalf.
434% turnout? More ballots counted than voters live in some areas
Overall voter turnout in Arizona’s primary election barely surpassed 27 percent, but in a few voting precincts in northern Arizona, turnout was much higher — impossibly high, in fact.
Secretary of State’s Office finds enough evidence to investigate Horne, who drops his own internal investigation
Assistant Secretary of State Jim Drake ruled this morning there is enough evidence and uncontested allegations against Attorney General Tom Horne to merit a full-blown investigation into whether he has been using state resources and employees to campaign for reelection.
Pacheco’s flower power
When it comes bringing color and fragrance into the lives of Arizona’s lawmakers, nobody does it better than Jessica Pacheco.
Definition of lobbyist hard to pin down
Even the question of who is a lobbyist is debatable, thanks to wide-ranging exemptions in the laws governing who is required to register as a lobbyist. Those exemptions cover everyone from John Q. Public to, arguably, one of the state’s most powerful public policy groups: The Goldwater Institute.
Senate panel approves bill to make petition drives more efficient
An Arizona Senate panel cleared legislation that would require political organizations to better organize signatures they collect and reward those that conduct background checks of their own paid circulators.
Lawyer: County Attorney had no authority to investigate AG Horne
A lawyer representing Attorney General Tom Horne’s alleged co-conspirator in his campaign finance case is arguing the case should be dismissed because the Secretary of State’s Office did not have the authority to bypass Horne and send it directly to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
Bennett sought legislation to deal with AG issues
As the FBI ramped up its investigation into Tom Horne last year, Secretary of State Ken Bennett scrambled to get legislation passed that would allow him to bypass the Attorney General’s Office and seek outside legal counsel.