Terry Goddard to Tom Horne: Stop intimidation of the AIRC

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard and former Phoenix mayor Paul Johnson, chairman of the nonpartisan Open Government Committee, have a message for Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne today in an opinion in the Arizona Republic. Goddard and Johnson: Stop attacking redistricting commission:

Arizona's Independent Redistricting Commission has the important task of redrawing our legislative and congressional boundaries under guidelines established by voters when they passed Proposition 106 nearly a dozen years ago.

Unfortunately, from the moment the current commission began its work, it has been under attack by a highly partisan coalition that is throwing roadblocks in its path.

At the moment, the bulk of complaints are directed at the commission's selection of attorneys and a mapping firm. Several Arizona politicians who didn't like those choices want to undo the contracts that were awarded.

Unfortunately, the attacks are not limited to accusations and outbursts at commission meetings. They also come from the highest levels of state government. Some legislators have threatened to remove the independent chair of the commission if she doesn't do exactly what they want.

And Attorney General Tom Horne recently announced an investigation of the commission – breaking a longstanding attorney general protocol of never discussing pending investigations before a lawsuit is filed or a grand jury has returned an indictment.

As a former Arizona attorney general and as former mayors, we both know how easily investigations can become politicized. The power of the Attorney General's Office must not be or appear to be subverted for partisan purposes.

Members of this commission are volunteers who have stepped forward to serve the people of Arizona. They deserve our thanks, not constant attacks. But more important, it was Arizona voters who took redistricting out of the hands of politicians when they approved Prop. 106. Voters went to great lengths to ensure this commission was truly independent, insulated from pressure from politicians who care most about staying in office.

Obviously, some Arizona politicians do not like anything that is outside their control. They might lose some of their power if the commission creates districts that are fair and competitive. Rather than take that risk, they are trying to blow up the commission before it can do its job.

We submit that the appropriate time for debate about the commission's fairness is after draft maps are submitted. We don't have to wait long. Unless the attackers have their way and disrupt the work before any maps are finalized, the commission is expected to release the first drafts of district maps in less than a month.

In this highly partisan atmosphere, Mr. Horne's announced "investigation" further diverts the commission from doing its assigned task. It does nothing to find or prevent lawbreaking. The appropriate prosecutorial approach, if any wrongdoing is suspected, is to conduct a thorough, confidential investigation.

If that investigation discovers evidence that a law was violated, then the attorney general can file a lawsuit or, if the charges are criminal, submit the facts to a grand jury and request an indictment. To do otherwise, especially in this super-charged political environment, only tarnishes the reputation of an office that, under attorneys general of both political parties, has always operated at the highest ethical standards.

We call on Attorney General Horne to end his part in the intimidation campaign and allow the commission to focus on the important duties entrusted to it by Arizona voters.

In all this furor, one thing is certain: If the commission does its job right, neither Republicans nor Democrats are going to be completely happy – exactly what Arizona voters wanted when they passed Prop. 106.