Terry Goddard calls on Tom Horne to step aside from the AG investigation into Fiesta Bowl Scandal

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Guardian reports Goddard to Horne: Get out of Fiesta Bowl investigation (subscription required):

Former Attorney General Terry Goddard, who first opened an investigation into the scandal-plagued Fiesta Bowl, said Monday his successor should give up the case.

Goddard says the state's new top law-enforcement official, Tom Horne, has too many ties with the Fiesta Bowl to pursue the investigation further and should hand it to another organization.

Last week, the findings of a bombshell probe into the political activities of the bowl were publicly released.

One day after the report was released, Horne made big money from a fundraising event organized in part by a pair of former Fiesta Bowl lobbyists named in the investigation.

"It's not a black or white issue but it could raise some questions," Goddard said Monday morning. "To maintain the appearance that there's not a conflict he should give this to another investigator."

h/t Arizona Guardian for graphic.

The Arizona Democratic Party has issued this press release:

Horne should step aside
from GOP-Fiesta Bowl investigation

Andrei Cherny, Arizona Democratic Party chairman, issued the following statement today:

"As a former prosecutor, I agree with Terry Goddard's call for Attorney General Tom Horne to step aside from the investigation into the scheme by Republican lobbyists to use the Fiesta Bowl as a front for funnelling illegal contributions to GOP politicians.

"This scandal reveals the deep and pervasive Republican culture of corruption in Arizona. Given the partisan nature of this scheme, Attorney General Horne's conflict of interest is too great to give Arizonans the confidence that justice will be served and the mess in the Republican Party will be cleaned up."

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