Monday, September 30, 2013

AZ GOP Gubernatorial Forum on October 3rd - can watch live online

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Common Core For All

“The schools [utilizing Common Core]… are organized in a highly centralized government-run system. They [Common Core courses] have the following characteristics in common: they are overwhelmingly secular in orientation; a common school is provided through at least grades seven or eight; little or no tuition charge is made; schools are mostly coeducational; the curricula are tightly prescribed, as are the textbooks...students are offered few electives…”

Sound familiar? Although this sounds like Common Core, with the exception of the inserted text, it’s actually a description from “Common Features of Education System in Communist Nations.” Common Core is a top-down national curriculum currently being forced on our public schools that attempts to treat every student exactly the same regardless of ability. It is reminiscent of the slogan popularized by Karl Marx, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need,” which means no matter how hard someone works, or how intelligent they are, everyone will be treated the same. But due to flaws inherent in human nature, such as laziness and greed, this slogan is incapable of ever becoming reality, and attempts to implement it have resulted in the deaths of millions in Stalinist Russia and Mao Tse-Tung's China.

Common Core was quietly started five years ago by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. It was stealthily implemented state by state before opponents were even aware of it. It seeks to impose the same left-leaning curriculum upon every public school in the country. Since I last wrote about Common Core in March, not much has changed. The national curriculum is still progressively being adopted around the country despite the massive outcry. About the only change is opposition is now emerging on the left. 

Why Suppressor Legislation Is So Controversial

 
(CANSTOCKPHOTO)
This interview appeared in the September 2013 issue of Western Shooting Journal



The Lobbyist for the American Silencer Association Explains

We had the opportunity to chat with Todd Rathner, the lobbyist for the American Silencer Association. He has successfully been getting legislation passed around the country legalizing the use of suppressors, which are also known as silencers. We asked him how he was able to get it done, considering there is considerable opposition.

RACHEL ALEXANDER Why are you able to get the legislation passed in some states but not others?

TODD RATHNER It’s a process of education. There are a lot of misconceptions about what suppressors do. There are some legislators who believe that the suppressor makes a gun completely silent, like what you see in the movies. Their stated concerns have been that it would affect or violate the tenets of fair chase, that a landowner will not be able to hear someone shooting on their property, and that a person could shoot an entire herd of elk. They are afraid it would lead to increased poaching.

All of that is nonsense. Those arguments are really a product of ignorance. The reason for these misconceptions is that Hollywood for years has portrayed suppressors as being completely silent, as if you can fire a high-powered rifle silently. It’s just not true. Part of the problem is that the original patent was for “silencers.” Additionally, federal law calls them “silencers.” So there is an expectation that they make guns “silent” when in reality, they do not.

The average high-powered rifle unsuppressed fires about 160 decibels. The best sound suppressors can get it down to is 130 decibels. That level is roughly equal to the loudness of a chain saw. It makes a high-powered rifle hearing safe so it doesn’t hurt your ears or cause long-term damage. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and others who have studied the effect of sound on your ears found that 140 decibels or less is roughly hearing safe. The goal of suppressor companies is to get it under that. Suppressors prevents ringing, tinnitus and long-term damage to hearing.

There are a lot of people in game departments who have misinformed legislators about what a suppressor really does. They assert that suppressors will make it so we can’t hear poachers, won’t be able to enforce poaching laws, and people will be able to shoot at night completely undetected. To buy into that, you’d have to believe that an elk or deer that can hear a twig snap in the woods, is not going to hear something as loud as a chainsaw.

Why would they say that? I’m trying to figure out what motivates these game wardens to lie.
They’re not conservationists, they’re preservationists. I just faced this in Montana. Jim Crop from Montana Game and Fish testified to the legislature that less than one percent of the hunters in Montana own suppressors – so my question is how will that have any appreciable impact on game herds even if they were a detriment to tame which they are not! He is asked if he has ever even heard a gun fired with a suppressor. The answer? No!


(CANSTOCKPHOTO)
You can listen to his testimony on the Montana legislature’s website. Find the testimony by him there, it’s about 20 minutes long. Shooting older bulls has very little effect on the health of the rest of the herd. He talks about actively managing for more critters. That’s why you don’t shoot does during fawning seasons and calves during calving season. In the Western states, we have very strict regulations on antlerless animals. It is rarely permitted to shoot does. It is o.k. to shoot some antlerless elk. Regardless, sound suppressors do not violate the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation tenets.

There is no biologically based reason to ban hunting with sound suppressors. It is therefore 100% consistent with the North American model of wildlife conservation which has served North American game species and hunters so well for over a century.

The Boone and Crockett Club, an organization that tracks game hunted and shot in the U.S. They measure animals that have been shot, and enter it into the recordbooks. But they only track game that is shot if it meets the tenets of fair chase. So they don’t include game shot from a helicopter, with electronic devices, or if it was behind a fence. They are the ones who came up with the phrase “fair chase.” This year, the Boone and Crockett Club discussed whether an animal taken down with a suppressed firearm should be entered into their record book. They decided to take no action, issue no opinion on the subject, which means it is acceptable to record.

Old school game managers are concerned about what they perceive as new technology. Remember Internet hunting from a few years ago? Where you’d see a deer from a camera and shoot it. Well that’s not hunting, that’s ridiculous. There is an element of fear of new technology. That’s understandable when it comes to Internet hunting. But suppressor technology has been around 100 years. There is nothing new about them.

ALEXANDER Have you thought about renaming suppressors to a word that makes it clearer that the sound isn’t completely muffled?

RATHNER Some people want to rename them “moderators” or “mufflers.” We’ve talked about it. One of the concerns in the industry is the federal government calls them silencers, so it should be the same term. I like the word moderator. Generally once we get to explain it, people agree. Our biggest ally is a demonstration. We get a bunch of legislators out to a shooting range so they can see what a suppressor actually does. Afterwards they say the arguments against them are ridiculous and where do I buy one. For the first time in their life they can shoot a high-power rifle without hurting their ears. 

ALEXANDER How were you able to get legislation permitting suppressors recently passed in Wyoming?

RATHNER Because we were able to take legislators out and demonstrate how suppressors work and what they do and what they don’t do, educating them. We had opposition from the Game Department and the AFL-CIO. The union represents game rangers working in the field. We were able to cut through all of the nonsense. Once the legislators saw the demonstration, they were convinced. The opposition tried to make all kinds of noise there about all these arguments against suppressors.

One argument the opposition brought up was all the new ammunition coming out that is completely silent. We were able to show the legislators the new ammo, called the 300 blackout cartridge which is subsonic, meaning it travels slower than the speed of sound, eliminating some noise. The opposition said you could shoot a deer at 300 yards and they’d never hear. Well, even if that were true, and it’s not, subsonic ammunition does not meet the minimum power factor requirements for use in Wyoming, so it’s already illegal to use in Wyoming. Many states say you have to use a cartridge that meets a certain number of foot pounds of energy in order to legally kill a deer. 750 or 800 foot pounds is usually the minimum. We exposed all of this, and the legislators worked through and said we were right and the game department was wrong.

On a more serious level, this calls into question everything else the game department testifies about. If they willingly misinform legislators about this, what else are they misinforming them about? We pay them to conduct game management fairly. They ouught to do their research and be honest. As soon as game departments and legislators are educated, generally they are on our side.

ALEXANDER Who else opposed the legislation in Wyoming?

RATHNER I think there were one or two small sportsmens groups. The American Silencer Association, the NRA, Wyoming Sportsman for Wildlife, and Wyoming Gunowners supported it.

ALEXANDER Which side had more money?

RATHNER I don’t know that money is a huge factor in this type of lobbying. It’s not like traditional lobbying where they make huge contributions and throw big parties. This is more hands-on face-to-face. I talk to Democrats too. I kind of expect Republicans to vote for pro-gun legislation. We try to do a lot of demonstration shoots. We show them the truth.


ALEXANDER What other states are you lobbying currently?

RATHNER We’re going back to Montana. The governor there vetoed the bill last session, I believe largely because the game department lobbyists completely misinformed him. He will look at it again I sense. We’re working in Georgia, and I believe we’ll be looking at Ohio. We also just passed laws in Louisiana making it easier to take possession of suppressors. It was legal before, but they put some local hoops to go through on top of the federal hoops. Those local hoops are now eliminated.

ALEXANDER Any thoughts on the the omnibus bill that just passed in North Carolina and was signed into law by the governor?

RATHNER It’s interesting that it passed in an eastern state, yet not in Montana. Montana was a matter of misinformation.

ALEXANDER Any thoughts on getting legislation passed in Ohio?

RATHNER The American Silencer Association is growing very quickly, and more and more manufacturers, dealers, and individual owners are getting involved. They want to change the law in as many states as possible. We think Ohio could be a next step.

ALEXANDER Why are game wardens so opposed to suppressors? Are any in favor of it?

RATHNER I believe in North Carolina the game dept was the catalyst behind the legislation. They brought it to the state legislature. There are some game department managers that get it. The ones that are willing to listen get it quick, because they’re genuine hunters. We take them out and do a demo. I’ll go to any state to take the game and law enforcement director out to shoot.

ALEXANDER Why do opponents want to prohibit hunting with suppressors at night?

RATHNER We don’t have a position on hunting at night, we’re neutral on that. Every state has its own laws about hunting at night. States overrun with high populations of hogs like Texas allow night hunting. Arizona doesn’t. As a guy who has been hunting for years, as long as it’s based on science I’m ok with game regulation, it’s when it’s made based on emotion is when I have a problem. Feral hogs aren’t indigenous like deer, elk, antelope, sheep. Once hunting regulations impact the indigenous animals, then the laws need to be carefully crafted.

ALEXANDER Any final thoughts, what would you like our readers to know?

RATHNER I want hunters to know that hunting with suppressors is not crazy new-fangled new technology, it’s 100-year old technology, and will not affect wildlife populations it will only have a postiive effect on safety. It makes high-powered rifles safer.

A lot of us talk about hunter recruitment and retention. I’ve got a 12-year old and 6-year old getting into shooting. My 12-year old is going to go game hunting for the first time. One of the challenges of teaching a 12-year old how to shoot a high-powered rifle is the sound and the recoil. What do we do to solve those problems, we put ear protection on, which is moderately effective, since you still have hearing loss. And we put muzzle brakes on rifles to lessen the recoil. Well, muzzle brakes make the gun louder. But if you can add a suppressor, it will not only reduce the sound to a hearing safe level, but it will reduce the recoil. And there is an added advantage – if you‘re out hunting with a 12-year old, you want to be able to whisper to them quietly. You can’t with ear protection on. With a sound suppressor, you can speak with them all the way through the shot.

ALEXANDER What about the argument that you’re being selfish by protecting your ears?

RATHNER You could say the same thing about a seatbelt.

Editor’s note: Todd J Rathner of rathnerandassociates.com is a lobbyist whose practice focuses on Second Amendment and firearms industry related issues, as well as other issues related to 
individual freedom. He practices in multiple state level legislatures, which is his primary specialty.


Sunday, September 29, 2013

Glenn Beck coming to Arizona in October - includes workshops on Common Core



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Saturday, September 21, 2013

AG candidate Mark Brnovich commended by governor for heading Dept. of Gaming

Although Mark Brnovich spent most of his career as a public prosecutor and civil lawyer, he most recently served as head of the Department of Gaming. While there, he had an outstanding record under Governor Brewer and was considered one of the most conservative department heads. He used to work for the Goldwater Institute prior to that, heading up their constitutional department. The Goldwater Institute is now suing Brewer over Obamacare. He has now resigned to run for Attorney General as the conservative choice. (click image to enlarge)

Friday, September 20, 2013

The Most Amusing Responses to My Article in the UK Guardian About Starbucks and Guns

I wrote an article this week for the UK Guardian about Starbucks' reversal of its policy tolerating gun-toting customers. Some of the 438 comments left after the article - mainly by the English - were so amusing I thought I would compile a few of them. They cannot believe that the liberal UK Guardian would publish such a conservative viewpoint. I have to hand it to The Guardian, after publishing Edward's Snowden expose on the NSA spying when our own American newspapers wouldn't, they actually are fairer than our supposedly more conservative mainstream media.
Click here to read the top comments

Gun Control Debate: Navy Yard Shooting Another Poor Excuse For More Laws

The left is falling all over itself to demand more gun control laws after the most recent mass shooting at the Washington, D.C., Navy Yard which left 13 people dead including the shooter. Yet, D.C. is home to some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation. The shooter apparently lawfully purchased a shotgun in neighboring Virginia, then brought it with him to the D.C. Navy Yard where he opened fire. 
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) held a press conference after the shooting, reporting that “the killer was armed with an AR-15, a shotgun and a semiautomatic pistol.”  She said, “This is one more event to add to the litany of massacres that occur when a deranged person or grievance killer is able to obtain multiple weapons — including a military-style assault rifle — and kill many people in a short amount of time.”
Feinstein championed the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban in Congress, and would like to see it brought back again. However, it turned out she was wrong about the killer and the AR-15, as well as the pistol. He did not own an AR-15 or pistol; he illegally took them off the bodies of those he killed, including a security guard who was carrying the pistol for his job.
Rachel is offering a 66% discount off the cover price of her magazine Western Shooting Journal this fall. 12 issues for only $19.95! To purchase,click here.

Starbucks Should Stick to Coffee and Leave Guns Alone

We all mourn the events at Washington's Navy Yard on Monday that left 13 people dead, but knee-jerk reactions like that of Starbucks are not effective.

After three years of allowing gun owners to celebrate Starbucks Appreciation Day, openly carrying their guns inside stores located in states with "open carry" laws, Starbucks abruptly reversed its position. Inan "open letter" from Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, the company said it will not forbid guns in its stores, but will "respectful[ly] request that customers no longer bring firearms into our stores or outdoor seating areas". In other words, gun owners aren't all that welcome any more and may one day be banned.
Gun owners had developed an affinity for Starbucks, with some fans creating a modified version of the Starbucks logo that says "I love guns and coffee". For years, Starbucks has apparently looked the other way at the popular logo, which spread to T-shirts and coffee mugs. Gun owners organized the annual Starbucks Appreciation Day in order to reward the company with more business and publicity. The most recent event took place on 9 August.
Rachel is offering a 66% discount off the cover price of her magazine Western Shooting Journal this fall. 12 issues for only $19.95! To purchase, click here.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Why the Democrats are Winning

Americans appear to have begun entering a more conservative phase, reflected in part by the popularity of the family-oriented, God-loving TV showDuck Dynasty. Although it is not a big expensive production, just a reality show, it has become the second most popular show on cable TV.

Yet this isn't translating into changes in Americans' politics or their government. Americans are still voting for Democrats, accepting socially liberal positions and expanding government. The reason is simple. Liberalism self-perpetuates itself if left unchecked because people are lazy. This is due to the nature of government. It is difficult to feel the effects of incrementally raising taxes and increasing spending across the board.

The average American now owes $52,878.60 in federal debt. If each American was forced to pay their share of the debt now, you can guarantee the vast majority would start voting for Republicans.

Read the rest of the article at Townhall

Friday, September 13, 2013

Sal DiCiccio: I will clean up City Hall within two years

 
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From the Arizona Republic - Sept. 12, 2013
 
DiCiccio pledges to end pension 'spiking' in Phoenix
 
A week after winning re-election to the Phoenix City Council in a grueling and expensive campaign, Sal DiCiccio vowed after his Sept. 6 appearance at the Ahwatukee Chamber of Commerce Public Policy Speakers Series, "I will clean up City Hall within two years."
 
More than $1.1 million was spent on the District 6 race involving Karlene Keogh Parks and DiCiccio, who said he spent about $430,000. He said he did not anticipate facing such a well-financed campaign with unions and out-of-state money contributing to mailers on his opponent's behalf, nor a media campaign that
DiCiccio characterized as "personal-character assassination," nor hundreds of firefighters going door to door on behalf of Keogh Parks.
 
DiCiccio said he had roughly 30 volunteers who made calls for him and a handful of people running his campaign. He said that his polling numbers had shown him at 52 percent, so he was pleased when he won with 55 percent of the vote.
 
He outlined his agenda for the new term, including the vow to clean up City Hall that includes eliminating pension spiking, a practice that DiCiccio describes as "unconscionable, immoral. It's wrong."
 
If DiCiccio can get one more supporter on the City Council to back a vote, he believes that the pension-spiking policy that allows retiring city employees to pad their pensions with cashed-in vacation, sick leave and other accumulated city benefits, could be eliminated quickly. This policy leaves the taxpayers with $2.4 billion in unfunded pension debt, he said, and no way to pay for it.
 
Another city practice that DiCiccio wants to eliminate is "maximizing the primary." DiCiccio describes this process as stripping money from capital funds (secondary-tax monies, such as bonds) and transferring it to day-to-day operational, or primary, expenses like salaries and supplies. The secondary funds had been available to cover road repair, parks, libraries, senior centers and other benefits to taxpayers. The process legally allows 2 percent of funds to be shifted annually, he said, but the transfers deplete reserves that would provide for maintenance. He is concerned that roads could start showing wear and tear if the money juggling is not stopped.
 
DiCiccio also discussed economic development, including clustering, a concept he favors, which encourages attracting development of medical, educational or other like or related businesses in one area.
 
DiCiccio said he will begin working for "full restoration of senior centers, parks, and libraries" that suffered cutbacks in service during the Great Repression and as a result of shifted funds.
 
He plans to continue his support of anti-domestic-violence programs and those to aid homeless people. 
 
My best to you and your family, 
Sal DiCiccio
City of Phoenix
Councilman, District 6
council.district.6@phoenix.gov

Goldwater Institute: THIRTY-SIX ARIZONA LAWMAKERS SUE BREWER OVER UNCONSTITUTIONAL MEDICAID EXPANSION

Opponents of expansion ask judge to block implementation of new law
Phoenix, AZ—Thirty-six Arizona state legislators and three concerned citizens have sued Governor Jan Brewer over the unconstitutional expansion of the Obamacare Medicaid program passed by the Legislature earlier this year, asking a judge to block implementation of the new law.
In a lawsuit filed by the Goldwater Institute in Maricopa County Superior Court Thursday, plaintiffs argue that the recent expansion of the Obamacare Medicaid program led by Governor Brewer violated Proposition 108, a constitutional protection passed by Arizona voters in 1992 to require a two-thirds majority of legislators whenever levying a tax increase. The lawsuit also asserts that the legislation expanding the Obamacare Medicaid mandate violates state separation-of-powers doctrine.
This June, Governor Brewer called legislators into a surprise special session to approve an expansion of Arizona’s Medicaid program (AHCCCS) under Obamacare. Thanks to the 2012 U.S. Supreme Court decision on the federal health care law, states are no longer required to expand Medicaid programs under the law. Still, Governor Brewer and key allies urged lawmakers to pass expansion, despite previous experience with Medicaid legislation in which cost estimates to expand the program exceeded projections by nearly 400% each year.
To fund Arizona’s obligations, supporters of expansion opted to charge hospitals a mandatory provider tax. In order to qualify for funding, federal law requires Arizona to collect the tax from hospitals regardless of whether they accept Medicaid payments. When Governor Brewer and key allies realized they were unable to muster the two-thirds majority required by the Arizona state constitution to pass expansion, they attempted to dodge Prop 108’s requirements by surrendering the Legislature’s taxing power to the director of AHCCCS, an unelected bureaucrat.
The Obamacare Medicaid expansion—and the provider tax that will fund it—passed both state legislative bodies with little more than a simple majority vote, falling short of the constitutionally required minimum necessary to approve a new tax. Structurally, the expansion also violated critical separation-of-powers provisions by relinquishing the taxing power to the AHCCS chief, who is now empowered to set tax rates and give exemptions to select hospitals.
 “This is exactly the sort of scenario that Prop 108 was designed to prevent,” said Christina Sandefur, one of the Goldwater Institute attorneys leading the case. “By enacting a tax without the two-thirds majority required by our Constitution, the state has disenfranchised citizens whose representatives opposed the tax. Legislators are beholden to their constituents, but bureaucrats have no such accountability.”
The Obamacare Medicaid expansion marks the first time that the Legislature has directly raised taxes since Prop 108’s passage in 1992, an indication of the constitutional protection’s strength when followed.
“If this bill is not stopped, a dangerous precedent will have been set that extends far beyond Medicaid expansion,” said Sandefur. “Blocking implementation of this law is critical to preserving the democratic protections Arizonans have enshrined in their constitution.”
To schedule an interview, please call Communications Director Lucy Caldwell at (602) 633-8986 or email lcaldwell@goldwaterinstitute.org.
 

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Tom Horne bizarrely claims Mark Brnovich is not qualified to be Attorney General

I couldn't believe I was reading this in the Yellow Sheet (great Arizona political tipsheet, worth the money). Horne spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham told the Yellow Sheet that she questioned how Brnovich’s role as state gaming director qualified him to take over Horne’s job. “If he decides to run, we look forward to seeing how his job at the Department of Gaming has prepared Mark Brnovich for the role of top law enforcement officer in the state – and always welcome a sparring partner to help prepare us for the general election,” she said. 

Are you kidding me? Brnovich is the most uber-qualified candidate to ever run for Attorney General, and as the Yellow Sheet points out, has far more experience than Horne did when he ran for the office. Brnovich was a prosecutor for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for several years, including prosecuting felonies in the major crimes unit if my memory serves me correctly. He then transferred to the Attorney General's Office, where he was counsel to the Gaming Department for several years. Most people may not know this about the Attorney General's Office, but the majority of it is civil law, representing government agencies, not prosecution. When I left there in 2003 there were only a couple of criminal units but numerous civil units. Brnovich is extremely qualified to head it having practiced both civil and criminal law at government agencies.

He also worked at the U.S. Attorney's Office for several years prosecuting public crimes. Only in recent years did he become head of the Gaming Agency under Governor Brewer.  

If this is the way Horne is going to run his campaign, is that someone you want to return to office? I'm sure we can expect more mudslinging like this, how low will he go? We need someone in office who is ethical, honest and can be trusted. With the ongoing investigation into Horne over multiple campaign violations, and the sudden resignations of his top-level employees as the whistle-blowing scandal gets deeper, it's time for someone new. 

Friday, September 6, 2013

Fall special! 1/3 off the cost of subscription to Western Shooting Journal!

me-WSJ-AMPMBeen considering getting a subscription to Western Shooting Journal? Now is the time! For a limited time this fall, we are offering 12 issues for the low price of only $19.95, that's 1/3 off the regular price of $29.95, and 2/3 off the news stand price! Click here to SUBSCRIBE NOW.

If you are a hunter or fisher, you might enjoy one of our sister publications. Check out Northwest Sportsman, California Sportsman, and Alaska Sporting Journal which are also 1/3 of the news stand price for only $19.95 each. Click here to SUBSCRIBE NOW.

Here are some of the stories coming up in our October issue:

TV cops compared: Longmire vs. Justified

An interview with Taya Kyle, the widow of American Sniper Chris Kyle, on her Second Amendment activism

The Big Sandy Shoot - biggest machine gun shoot in the country!

Cowboy action shooting in the Badlands

Hunting Columbia blacktail deer

Waterfowl hunting in West Virginia

3-Gun mania everywhere! Including a midnight shoot and a Courage Classic shoot to benefit veterans

Shooting black powder at a Long Ranch Rifle Match with the Pine Mountain Posse

Recruiting army posters for the zombie apocalypse

We check out the Taurus Judge, which shoots two calibers of bullets

A Civil War reenactment with possibly the largest cannon ever shot

The new Ruger American model gun  

To request previous issues, please call (206) 382-9220. Duck Dynasty coverGunney coverLuke Bryan-AugustApril NRA cover

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Wanna have your photo on our Western Shooting Journal website but don't own a gun?

me-WSJ-AMPMTake a photo of yourself with a copy of our magazine and send it to us! Here I am with a copy of our August issue at an AM/PM in Bellevue, Wash. You can find Western Shooting Journal at gas stations and grocery stores around the country, order a subscription here. (And you can make a statement with your shirt - I am probably irritating WAZZU fans everyhere, like the editor of our sister magazine, Northwest Sportsman).

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Conservative Mark Brnovich resigns as gaming director to run against Tom Horne for Attorney General

I worked with Mark Brnovich for three years at the Arizona Attorney General's Office; he had the office next to mine. He has an impeccable record, is extraordinarily bright, ethical, conservative and has vision. He would make an outstanding Attorney General. I am thrilled he is running!

Possible Horne challenger resigns as gaming director

 

Here are a few excerpts from the article by Jeremy Duda of the Arizona Capitol Times


He has an extensive law enforcement resume that includes stints with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office and Arizona Attorney General’s Office. He has also worked as an attorney at the Goldwater Institute.

Horne has spent the last year and a half mired in controversy after a joint investigation by the FBI and Maricopa County Attorney’s Office alleged campaign law violations by the attorney general and a top aide.

Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk is investigating the allegations that Horne illegally coordinated with an independent expenditure committee run by Kathleen Winn in 2010 during his first campaign for attorney general. Horne is also facing a civil lawsuit in federal court from an employee who alleged he and another aide retaliated against her for bringing evidence of coordination to the FBI.


Read the full article here