Chutzpah! Andrew Thomas to resign to run for Attorney General

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The man who has done more to abuse the justice system in Arizona than anyone I can recall in recent living memory, and the man who, along with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, is under investigation by a federal grand jury and the U.S. Justice Department, has announced that he is running for Attorney General. Now that's chutzpah!

I can't say it any better than Laurie Roberts from the Arizona Republic Thomas resigning to run for AG:

Maricopa County Attorney Andy Thomas has chosen April Fools Day to announce that he is resigning April 6 to run for attorney general. And what is his No. 1 campaign tool?  The death of Cochise County rancher Rob Krentz. 
 
Our intrepid county attorney is certainly no slouch. He was down on the border, filming a campaign video with Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever within 48 hours of the tragedy.  Thomas, on his website, says the visit was arranged before Saturday’s murder but geez.  How about a waiting until Mr. Krentz's body is buried before you begin using him as a campaign aid?

This brings the number of politicians making hay out of the Krentz family's tragedy to at least 10, with more, no doubt, to come. [John McCain, J.D. Hayworth, Jonathan Paton, etc., etc.]

Checkout Thomas' announcement and video here.

We have warned you here that Republicans in Arizona intend to run for office this fall on demonizing "Mex-cans" and anti-immigrant hysteria to distract your attention from the fact that the GOP Taliban is guilty of legislative malpractice and malfeasance in office. This legislature and governor are the worst failures in the history of Arizona. They are without equal.

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and his side-kick Sheriff Joe Arpaio have made Maricopa County the most dysfunctional county government anywhere outside of New Jersey. Everyone is investigating everyone else and suing each other.

Thomas and Arpaio have abused the justice system to bring politically motivated retaliatory legal actions against their political opponents as a Judge recently declared in dismissing one of these lawsuits. A federal grand jury is hearing testimony and the U.S. Justice Department is investigating abuse of the powers of their offices by Thomas and Arpaio. A previous Justice Department and FBI investigation into civil rights violations of Hispanic citizens and immigrants remains open, as I understand it.

There is a very real possibility that a federal grand jury indictment will be issued against Thomas and Arpaio before the primary election on August 24. Thomas' primary opponent, Tom Horne, himself no slouch at demonizing "Mex-cans" and engaging in anti-immigrant hysteria, should make hay of Thomas' legal troubles and his clear abuses of the justice system. (Horne has brought his share of politically motivated lawsuits as well.)

Following on the heels of the GOP Taliban in the Arizona Legislature authorizing the Accidental Governor to file a politically motivated frivolous lawsuit against the federal government, these abuses of our justice system must stop. Arizona can and must do better than these Republicans who have so little regard for the rule of law.

All three of the Democratic candidates for Attorney General — House Democratic Leader David Lujan; former Assistant Attorney General Vince Rabago; and Felecia Rotellini, former Assistant Attorney General and former director of the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions — joined to offer this statement in response to Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas' announcement that he will step down to run for Attorney General:

"It's rather fitting this was announced on April Fool's Day. After forcing Arizonans to endure his costly and ethically bankrupt legal battle with county officials, Andrew Thomas now has the nerve to ask voters for a promotion. He talks as if he's tough on crime, but his actions reveal a politician who cares more about pursuing his own political vendettas than about keeping our streets safe from violent criminals. Arizonans want their law-enforcement officials to spend tax dollars wisely and keep criminals off our streets. Andrew Thomas has failed on both counts."

Former Assistant Attorney General Vince Rabago added in his own press release:

Anyone else under ethics and abuse of power investigations by the State Bar and the FBI might take this as a time to focus their energy on cleaning up their act and showing contrition. Instead, Andrew Thomas apparently believes his questionable ethics and taxpayer-funded frivolous lawsuits qualify him to be Arizona’s chief law enforcement officer. Is this an April Fools joke?

During his tenure as Maricopa County Attorney, Mr. Thomas has tarnished and devalued the office of County Attorney. He now leaves his mess for someone else to clean up.

We cannot allow him to do to the state what he’s done to Maricopa County. Arizona can and must do better.