GOP staffers cross the line at Tea-Publican Committee to Interfere With The AIRC

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Tea-Publicans have thrown out all institutional norms and rules in their quest to "blow up" the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC).

It is bad enough that House Republican Caucus staffer and dirty tricks guy John Mills (he of the Republican voter fraud "Green" scheme siphon scandal in 2010) has been paid to attend almost every public hearing of the AIRC. I have personally observed Mills accost two witnesses after their testimony at these hearings in what can only be described as an attempt to intimidate these witnesses with whom he disagreed. He should have been disciplined by his employer for his actions, and if he worked for me this punk would have been fired. It is completely unacceptable behavior.

Mills has also been caught red-handed in feeding Tea-Publican witnesses GOP talking points when the witness has identifed him as their source in public testimony. The Arizona Eagletarian: Redistricting — disturbing developments UPDATED ([W]hen Gila County Supervisor Tommie Martin testified before the AIRC, she specifically named GOP taxpayer funded political operative John Mills as the source of her information).

But it gets worse. GOP staff attorney Greg Jernigan, an attorney who should know better, presented partisan testimony at the Tea-Publican Committee to Interfere With The AIRC dog-and-pony show. This is unheard of and violates institutional norms and rules. The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports GOP staffer claims IRC gerrymandered maps; Dems promise complaint - Arizona Capitol Times:

A Republican legislative attorney claimed today that the state’s redistricting commission gerrymandered its maps to benefit certain Democratic incumbents and harm GOP politicians.

The claim by Senate GOP staff attorney Greg Jernigan that the Independent Redistricting Commission blatantly violated the state Constitution is the latest in the escalating tangle over the maps.

Within minutes of Jernigan’s testimony at the Joint Legislative Committee on Redistricting, Democratic leadership from both chambers of the Legislature ratcheted up their complaints that the committee is a waste of taxpayer dollars and an attempt to protect Republican interests.

Senate Minority Leader David Schapira and House Minority Leader Chad Campbell said they will be filing a complaint against Jernigan, saying his testimony to the committee represents a violation of the prohibition against state employees being involved in partisan political or election-related activity.

Jernigan took his partisan talking points testimony one step further by making accusations based upon speculation and conjecture, or more accurately, Tea-Publican paranoid delusions:

Jernigan’s explanation: McNulty was fed maps by a secret outside source.

Jernigan didn’t expound on this idea, but said he’s sure that McNulty and whoever potentially gave her maps to create will try to keep their identity hidden.

Jernigan declined to comment further on his assertion that McNulty must have been getting maps from outside the commission.

Schapira and Campbell, who were watching the committee hearing from the hallways of the Legislature, said they plan to file a formal complaint.

The two said Jernigan, and perhaps House Republican legislative staff member John Mills, may have broken a rule that bars state employees from getting involved in partisan or election-related activity.

* * *

Campbell said he’s felt that Mills has long taken part in work that falls outside of what’s permitted, but that today’s testimony is the most egregious violation he’s seen.

“The fact that they’re using staff to make baseless partisan attacks underscores everything we’ve said about this committee, which is that it’s a complete joke,” Campbell said. “John Mills is nothing more than a Republican Party staffer being paid for with taxpayer dollars, and apparently so is Jernigan.”

The House Democratic Caucus released this press release on Friday (which oddly does not name Greg Jernigan directly):

STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – In yet another day of sad and whiny attempts to keep Arizona under Tea Party rule, extremists drunk with power hit a new low today by enlisting the help of their own legislative staff.

A taxpayer-funded partisan staffer testified in the Senate Committee on Redistricting and spread baseless speculation about the Independent Redistricting Commission maps.

“These partisan extremists have launched a full-scale attack on citizen volunteers who are trying to build a fair and competitive Arizona,” said House Minority Leader Chad Campbell. “It is unbelievable the lengths to which they will go because they are afraid of competitive districts that more accurately represent Arizona.”

The staffer testified and made baseless comments that singled out members of certain districts in Arizona implying the maps were drawn specifically for them. This is the latest in a string of blatant attacks from Tea Party elected officials like Gov. Jan Brewer and Congressional and legislative Tea Party lawmakers against the IRC. Just hours before the committee hearing, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge disqualified Tea Party Attorney General Tom Horne from moving forward with his bogus investigation on the IRC due to conflict of interest.

“The fact that they had to use one of their taxpayer-funded staffers to come up with slanderous testimony they've been looking for shows just what a partisan witch hunt this committee has been," said Senate Minority Leader David Schapira. "I'm sick and tired of their attempts to undermine the will of Arizona voters."