PEARCE WANTS LEGAL OPINION ON RECALL

posted by Christopher Conover

State Senate President Russell Pearce (R-Mesa) wants Attorney General Tom Horne (R) to issue a legal opinion on whether or not political action committees involved in recalls can accept corporate contributions.

The request comes as a group is waiting to find out officially if they have enough petition signatures to force a recall of Pearce. Earlier this month, the head of the Arizona Division of Elections wrote that corporations are barred from influencing elections.

Attorney General Horne issued a statement telling Pearce the opinion will come within 30 days and politics will not drive the opinion.

Text of Horne Statement on Ruling Request

“Like all formal opinion requests, this will be assigned to the Solicitor General’s Office, under the leadership of Solicitor General David R. Cole. The Solicitor General’s Office will analyze this question under the law, without regard to politics. A letter will be issued based on the analysis of the Solicitor General’s Office, without permitting politics to enter into the process at any point. The public expects these kinds of questions to be answered on a purely legal basis, without intrusion of politics, and that is what we will do.”