Tucson Weekly pulls the Yarbrough story together

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by David Safier
Mari Herreras of the Tucson Weekly does a terrific job of telling the whole story of Yarbrough, his STO and the various ways he profits from the tuition tax credit legislation. All the pieces of the puzzle are there, laid out in a clear, complete narrative.

And there's this extra added bonus at the end.

The Tucson Weekly also found documentation in SCA's 2007 990 documenting that the organization paid current Arizona Corporation Commissioner Bob Stump $57,000 for fundraising while he was working as a state representative and running for the Corporation Commission seat. While in the Legislature, Stump was also a big supporter of private-school tax credits. The Weekly called Stump for comment, but he did not respond.

This is not the first time the combination of school-tax-credit money and conflicted politicians has caused controversy.

In the 1990s, Arizona School Choice Trust, a private school tuition organization, was investigated by the Federal Election Commission for allegedly using a $100,000 donation to pay Jeff Flake—then a state representative, and now a U.S. congressman—to lobby for tax-credit payroll-deduction legislation while he was running for Congress. The FEC, however, determined the arrangement was legal.

Bob Stump and Jeff Flake thrown in for good measure. Wow!

Herreras gives credit for the investigative footwork to Jen Darland, who deserves it, in spades.

Let's see if other news outlets pick up the story, which they've reported on but not investigated, with renewed interest. The fact that the Weekly got "No Comment" from the parties involved should raise a few journalistic eyebrows. Are the bloodhounds of the media sniffing in the air and howling yet?

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