From Progress Now Arizona…
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has spent at least $41,000 over the past three years hosting Arizona legislators on lavish out-of-state policy retreats – including $3,800 for House Speaker Andy Tobin alone — according to records obtained by ProgressNow Arizona.
An analysis of public financial disclosure statements found 36 Arizona lawmakers – all Republicans — took 82 separate corporate-funded “scholarships” from ALEC since 2011. However, the amount ALEC spent wining and dining our legislators is likely far higher than $41,000. Arizona lawmakers only require themselves to disclose whether a gift was worth $500 or more, and only two lawmakers reported specific amounts, each far higher than $500.
House Speaker Tobin, R-Paulden, who is now running for Congress, was one of those who itemized. Tobin disclosed that ALEC spent $1,800 to put him up in San Diego’s four-star Manchester Grand Hyatt for a conference in August of 2010. A few months later, ALEC again hosted Tobin at Washington, D.C.’s Grand Hyatt for $2,000. ALEC’s conference fees are only about $400 for legislators.
“Speaker Tobin will have a lot of explaining to do to the voters in Congressional District 1. First, he’ll have to explain why he doesn’t live in the district he’s seeking to represent, and now these unseemly ties to special interests,” said Robbie Sherwood, executive director of ProgressNow Arizona.
