This fracas within the Arizona Senate has been off and on in the news since Febuary 2011 and it's time it was resolved. The Senate ethics committe was set to review Bundgarrds behavior until, WHAT? Does receiving this letter negate Bungarrds actions..Does Senate Leader Russell Pearce's statement to press make a difference? If Senator Russell Pearce recused himself from all proceedings could the ethics committee do their job? Or is this another stall for Bungaard to change his story yet again?
“We decided the media will not drive us to rush to judgment. Even a state senator has a right to justice, and all the facts must be in before a decision can be made, and not tried and convicted by the media,” Pearce said in his March 8 written statement after a 90-minute closed-door meeting in which Bundgaard defended himself to his Republican colleagues."Bundgaard attorney wants three in ethics committee disqualified
By Paul Davenport, Associated Press
Published: September 20, 2011 at 6:10 am
Published: September 20, 2011 at 6:10 am
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| Sen. Bundgaard's attorneys MarkGoldman(left)and Austin Woods unsuccessfully argue that the Senate Ethics Committee dismiss the investigation into their client. The ethics committee ultimately voted 3-1 to move forward with the investigation. (Photo by Ryan Cook/RJ Cook Photography) An attorney for state Sen. Scott Bundgaard demanded Monday that three of five Senate Ethics Committee members be disqualified from hearing a complaint against the lawmaker involving a February domestic violence incident. Lawyer Austin Woods wrote a complaint that he said triggers a Senate rule requiring the replacement of the three committee members.Woods’ complaint alleges Republican Sen. Ron Gould of Lake Havasu City and Democratic Sens. David Schapira of Tempe and Leah Landrum Taylor of Phoenix had made comments that showed bias against Bundgaard. He said their comments showed the three cannot be fair and impartial toward his client, a Peoria Republican.According to Woods’ complaint, the comments included several statements in news reports that were attributed to Gould and at least one by Schapira. Woods also cited a previous complaint by Landrum Taylor against Bundgaard involving the February incident, which was dismissed as being premature.“Sen. Bundgaard welcomes this investigation, but it must be fair and it must be impartial; neither is possible when these three senators have made a predetermination of guilt given their own prior, published statements,” Woods said in the complaint, a seven-page letter.Senate President Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, is reviewing the lawyer’s complaint and will have a response before a scheduled Ethics Committee meeting Tuesday, Pearce spokesman Mike Phiilpsen said. Gould, the Ethics Committee chairman, declined immediate comment on the lawyer’s complaint, saying he had not seen it. Full Story |
Source: Arizona Capital Times
Politico Mafioso
