Pearce Recall Update: Oh, It’s On!

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Just as I predicted at the start, the Arizona courts have rejected Lisa Hauser's specious claims. On Tuesday, it was the Arizona Supreme Court that rejected her specious claims on behalf of "King" Russell Pearce's front group. The court should require Hauser's clients to pay attorneys fees and costs for bringing a frivolous appeal. Pearce recall gets go-ahead from state's high court:

The recall election of Senate President Russell Pearce will go forward on Nov. 8.

The Arizona Supreme Court on Tuesday denied an appeal that challenged recall signatures collected to get the election on the ballot, saying only that it would uphold the lower court's ruling and issue details of its opinion later. The decision was made behind closed doors and without oral arguments.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a formal opinion in the coming days.

In other news, Patricia Oldroyd, the secretary for the Maricopa County Republican Party and longtime supporter of Senate President Russell Pearce said she was part of a coordinated effort to help a woman she’s never met qualify as a candidate for the Nov. 8 special recall election against Pearce. Another elected member of the Maricopa County Republican Party’s Executive Guidance Committee, Dan Grimm, also collected signatures for Cortes even though he knows almost nothing about her. County GOP officials rally to get Pearce ‘opponent’ on ballot  – Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required). Both Grimm and Oldroyd live in neighboring LD19 and cannot vote in the LD18 recall election. (h/t Arizona Capitol Times photo).

Stephen Lemons at the Phoenix New Times has more. Russell Pearce's Pal Franklin Bruce Ross, Logan Pearce, and Others Sign for Wannabe Pearce Foe Olivia Cortes: 

Franklin Bruce Ross, the man who is listed as the plaintiff in the lawsuit challenging the recall petitions submitted by Citizens for a Better Arizona, a man his attorney Lisa Hauser has described as a longtime pal of state Senate President Russell Pearce, solicited signatures to put the name of wannabe Pearce challenger Olivia Cortes on the November 8 recall ballot.

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Ross signed the back of one petition sheet, declaring the signatures he obtained to be valid. One of the few signatures he got was his own. 

Ironically, that oath he signed uses wording that would not be sufficient under Hauser's interpretation of the Arizona Constitution.  [Ha!]

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Going through the petition sheets that East Valley Tea Party chairman Greg Western filed Friday with the Arizona Secretary of State, there are some other notable signers of Cortes' petition, including a Logan Pearce and an Andrea Pearce, who live at the same address.

A "Logan Pearce" endorsed Russell Pearce for state Senate in 2008.

I'm told by sources in Mesa that Logan Pearce is Russell's nephew, but I have not been able to confirm this with Logan himself. I left a message with him on his voice mail, but have yet to receive a return call.

Western signed the petition, of course. So did hardcore Pearce supporter Ron Middlebrook, who ran unsuccessfully in 2008 for the state House. Middlebrook endorsed Pearce in 2008 as well.

Numerous other known Pearce supporters either signed or circulated the Cortes petitions. Too many for me to detail at length here. 

As Lemons says in another post Russell Pearce's Olivia Cortes Fiasco: Video:

Western's appearance cemented the perception that Cortes is a plant, meant to "dilute" the vote, as one of her paid petition circulators put it to me.

I continue to be astonished at how dumb the pro-Pearce camp has been.

In May, the Maricopa County GOP’s executive committee unanimously approved a resolution opposing the recall. The county party pledged to “support and defend” Pearce against the recall — apparently by fielding a stalking horse candidate for "King" Russell Pearce who is a sham candidate. This after fielding sham Green Party legislative candidates in 2010. This is a party that has nothing but contempt for democracy and the integrity of the electoral process. It is time for the voters of LD 18 to make them pay.