Although that behavior may not sit well with the public, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said Wednesday, his investigators found no criminal wrongdoing by 31 Arizona politicians who took the gifts.
After an eight-month investigation, Montgomery announced that he couldn’t prove criminal liability because of inconsistent state laws regarding the acceptance of gifts for public officials, vague reporting requirements of elected officials and lobbyists, and insufficient records by the Fiesta Bowl to support a prosecution.
“We have an expectation that you can’t do these things, and yet we do not have statutes for us to rely on to ensure that conduct conforms with that expectation,” Montgomery said during a detailed, two-hour news conference.
Montgomery, a Republican up for re-election next year, said his office spent eight months investigating 28 current and former legislators, including former Senate President Russell Pearce who accepted nearly $40,000 in gifts from the bowl and has denied wrongdoing. Three other politicians and three lobbyists with ties to the bowl also were investigated.
Montgomery said some lawmakers declined to talk with investigators when asked to do so voluntarily. He said he did not convene a grand jury because most of the potential offenses being investigated would have been misdemeanors.
Montgomery earlier this week called for lawmakers to ban the acceptance of gifts and change laws so there is no confusion on what’s permissible.
Federal authorities are separately investigating other aspects of the Fiesta Bowl scandal, including an alleged scheme to reimburse employees for political contributions. One former executive has been charged in that case.
Baylor's Griffin is AP player of the year • Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III of Baylor was voted The Associated Press college football player of the year.
Levine to be next coach at Houston • Tony Levine will be named Houston's full-time coach today, a source said. Houston is looking to replace Kevin Sumlin, who accepted an offer to coach Texas A&M. Levine was Sumlin's assistant head coach and special teams coordinator. He took over as interim coach after Sumlin left on Dec. 10.
Yale coach resigns amid résumé flap • Tom Williams resigned as Yale's coach after admitting he lied on his résumé about being a candidate for a Rhodes Scholarship while a student at Stanford. Williams took over at Yale in 2009 and went 16-14.
FSU's Thomas ineligible for bowl game • Florida State running back Jermaine Thomas has been declared academically ineligible for the Champs Sports Bowl and will not play in the Dec. 29 game against Notre Dame.
Chow is Hawaii's new coach • Hawaii said it has hired Utah offensive coordinator Norm Chow as its new head coach. He replaces the retired Greg McMackin.
No comments:
Post a Comment