WPC7 ^[o̿RͿ̿P$h ί2ݼD-,T*pf4HYb>e6s.e2W4).ٱ~xt:w4S5hhȓtŎnP>Suƻf*4+ʛۚBJ){Hq.lŇC 'LH<ͦ-Nb`OBQ]rdܲΓS72`2l6$4I.(CC7FU?~$n6 7ۋl rHչRI(9oWN;:fLKy)K?ԥ051 81@s^` n`+D(޽ܦpK̞KxK7҅,qsWR0܅Y1)A6E/49ф.u|롴KC{"U:IE-sPu#fU N/ %} 0: 0U 0 0 0 0y 02 0 0 09 0 0 0p 0# 0 0w 0 0 0H 0 0 0e 0 0 0c 0 0 0+ 0  0g 0% 0> 0! 0! 0! 0" 0# 0$ 0% 0=& 02' 0A' 0:=( 0Yw( 0_( 0 /) 09* 0+ B*- D/- D+. 0E.U6K0 D/0 00 06~1 01 0:2 0^2 0<T3 1e3U>334 0B4 0(;5 AMc5U*5555555555555555 1u5555 72O6O6O6O6^ 6666w66664666666666T667 0N 7 mX7 0co7Canon Bubble-Jet BJC-85Q/00/Q0(  Z6Times New Roman RegularX($USUS.,*+ (_2623  ..*G+G (_25   /%` ` hp x /23  ../%` ` hp x /   *8+8 (_24  ," hp x ,23  ..," hp x ,  *5+5 (_23 ` ) hp x )23  ..) hp x ) ` *2+2 (_22  &hhp x &23  ..&hhp x &  */+/ (_21  #p x #23  ..#p x #  *,+, (_20 h  p x 23  .. p x h *)+) (_19  pp x 23  ..pp x   *&+& (_18   x 23  .. x   *AA (_17  5+ ` hp x 523  Ԁ5+ ` hp x 5  *GG (_16   /%` ` hp x /23  Ԁ/%` ` hp x /   *88 (_15  ," hp x ,23  Ԁ," hp x ,  *55 (_14 ` ) hp x )23  Ԁ) hp x ) ` *22 (_13  &hhp x &23  Ԁ&hhp x &  *// (_12  #p x #23  Ԁ#p x #  *,, (_11 h  p x 23  Ԁ p x h *)) (_10  pp x 23  Ԁpp x   (&& &_9   x 23  Ԁ x   (AA &_8  5+ ` hp x 523  5+ ` hp x 5  (GG &_7   /%` ` hp x /23  /%` ` hp x /   (88 &_6  ," hp x ,23  ," hp x ,  (55 &_5 ` ) hp x )23  ) hp x ) ` (22 &_4  &hhp x &23  &hhp x &  (// &_3  #p x #23  #p x #  (,, &_2 h  p x 23   p x h ()) &_1  pp x 23  pp x   &&& $_   x 23   x   0AA.Normal  5+ ` hp x 55+ ` hp x 5  <AA:Definition T  5+ ` hp x 55+ ` hp x 5  <AA:Definition L , 5+ ` hp x 5  5+ ` hp x 586Definition(hh&H1  5+ ` hp x 5      5+ ` hp x 5  (]]&H2  5+ ` hp x 5  5+ ` hp x 5  (]]&H3  5+ ` hp x 5  5+ ` hp x 5  (]]&H4  5+ ` hp x 5 XXX 5+ ` hp x 5  (]]&H5  5+ ` hp x 5  5+ ` hp x 5  (]]&H6  5+ ` hp x 5  5+ ` hp x 5  2DD0Address  5+ ` hp x 55+ ` hp x 5  8MM6Blockquote , , 5+ ` hp x 5   5+ ` hp x 5,*CITE,dl*CODEK8<6X9`(Courier NewKSA\  `&Times New RomanS42Emphasis64Hyperlink    <:FollowedHype    4go2Keyboard K8<6X9`(Courier NewKSA\  `&Times New RomanS <:Preformatted  /%  ,Kk %#/K8<6X9`(Courier NewKSA\  `&Times New RomanS/%  ,Kk %#/  <:zBottom of 75(X7    5+ ` hp x 5?F%2A`Arial?  SA\  `&Times New RomanS76(X75+ ` hp x 5  &  d d4)1dxd'dxd<:zTop of For79(X7    5+ ` hp x 5?F%2A`Arial?  SA\  `&Times New RomanS76(X75+ ` hp x 5  <6X9`(Courier New4)2dxd0KS.SampleK8<6X9`(Courier NewKSA\  `&Times New RomanS0.Strong 8dl6TypewriterK8<6X9`(Courier NewKSA\  `&Times New RomanS42Variable: 8HTML MarkupB      2 0CommentB   35;AGMSY_11.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.\  `&Times New Roman Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5("$ !  ($BCD6A<< c%2A`Arial3#37=CIQYag1.a.i.(1)(a)(i)1)a)Vi)Ƥ4  ao4:i+00mailto:richard.ruelas@arizonarepublic.com3|x($     U(;3$2#  0  .3  0  !USUS.,  _SSAX҄XXX  ?+ ` hp x X?  SVS q  #X҄XXAX҄R#AX҄XXX҄ MaricopaCountyAttorneyAndrewThomas'wayofgettingcampaigndonationsraisesred V flags q݌ B Ќ XX   A XAX҄# A 0#A    ?+ ` hp x X?  S.~   #AX҄XA )##X҄XXAX҄k#AX҄XXX҄Jun.26,200612:00AM ݌  Ќ XX   A XAX҄# A l#A    ?+ ` hp x X?  Sn h  #AX҄XA ##X҄XXAX҄I#Don_Stapley_,thechairmanoftheMaricopaCountyBoardofSupervisors,regrettedsayingitas  soonasitcameoutofhismouth.Hedeclinedtoelaborateorpubliclygivetheevidencethatled   himtothisconclusion:MaricopaCountyAttorneyAndrewThomasisseekingcampaign   contributionsfromlawyersusingthemillionsthecountyspendsonoutsideattorneysasbait.    "Hewantstouse(thecontractwork)asapoliticalleverforhisowncampaigncontributions," b  _Stapley_Ԁtoldmeoverthephone.Heemphasizedthatthiswashispersonalopinionandnotthatof O  theboard. <   TheCountyAttorney'sOfficeroutinelypaysmillionstoprivatefirmstodoworkbeyondthe f  expertiseorcapacityofitsoffice.SinceThomastookofficein2005,thecountyhasspentmore S  than$10.6milliononoutsideattorneys,financerecordsshow.Ofthattotal,$6.4millionhas @ gonetothe22firmsthatemployattorneyswhowerepartofa"hostcommittee"ataThomas - fundraiserinApril.Mostofthosefirmsforyearshavesteadilyreceivedworkfromthecounty. h݌  Ќ XX    OnlyfourattorneyslistedasmembersofThomas'fundraisingcommitteedonothavebusiness  tieswiththeCountyAttorney'sOffice.   TheconcernthatThomaswashandingouttheworkbasedoncampaigncontributionswasoneof k thereasons_Stapley_ԀwantedtheboardtohavevetopoweroverwhomThomaschosetorepresent X theboardinlawsuits. E  "That'swhatthisisabout,"_Stapley_Ԁsaid. o  ThesupervisorspassedthatvetoprovisioninMay.ThomasfiledsuitoveritinJune,sayingthe I boardoversteppeditsbounds. 6  _Stapley_Ԁdidn'twanttodetailhisconcerns,hopingtoavoidapublicbattlewithThomas."I'vegot ! tolivewiththisguy,"hesaid."It'sbetterfortheboardthatInotgetintoabigfistfightoverthe " politicalnatureofwhathe'sdoneandwhyhe'sdoneit." #   _Stapley_'scontentionaboutThomaswouldbedifficulttoprove.Thomasdeclinedtobe t% " interviewedabouthisoffice'scontractwork.ButBarnett_Lotstein_,aspecialassistanttoThomas, a&!# flatoutdeniedtheallegationthatcampaigncontributionsaretiedtocontractwork. N'"$  "Thereisnoconnectionwhatsoever,"hesaid."Itwouldbewrongtothinkthereis." ()x$&  Thetotalspentonoutsideattorneyshashistoricallyvariedfromyeartoyearbutisconsistently +R&( inthemillions.In2004,formerCountyAttorneyRick_Romley_Ԁspentjustover$6millionon +?') contractwork.Thomas'totalfor2005was$6.9million.Hehasspent$3.7millionsofarthis ,,(* year,countyfinancerecordsshow. -)+  Someoftheattorneyswhosefirmsreceivedthatworkwereonthehostcommitteeforthe  ThomasfundraiserinAprilatanOutbackSteakhouseinScottsdale.Afewtoldmetheir  contributionswerenottiedtothepromiseofcontinuedcountywork. w  "I'mveryfavorablyinclinedtoMr.Thomas,"saidGary_Lassen_,amemberofthehostcommittee. Q  Firmsheworkedforhavereceived$152,077incountybusinessunderThomas'administration. >  "Ineverfeltpressure(todonate),"hesaid. + {  Georgia_Staton_,whoranasaDemocratforcountyattorneyin1989,alsosaidthatfundraising  U  forThomasfitswithherhistoryofdonatingtotheoffice."Ithinkyouhavetosupportthose  B  positionsthathavesuchstrongimpactonthecommunity,"shesaid.Herfirm,Jones_Skelton_Ԁ& /  _Hochuli_,hasreceived$1.7millioninworksinceThomastookoffice.    ButoneattorneywhowaspartofthehostcommitteeforThomassaidtherewasdefinitely   impliedpressure.SomeofitappliedbyThomashimself.    Theattorney,whoaskednottobenamed,saidthecampaigncallinadvanceoftheAprilfund m raisercameasasurprise. Z  OnthelinewasMarkGoldman,whowasThomas'campaignmanagerin2004.Thecallsounded 4 asifitwasthrougha_speakerphone_.Goldmanaskediftheattorneywouldagreetobepartofthe !q hostcommittee.Theattorneypausedforabitattherequestbuteventuallyagreed,atwhichpoint ^ Thomascameontheline."Hesaid,'Thatmeansyou'llraise$2,000,'"theattorneyrecalled. K  NeitherThomasnorGoldmanmadeanexplicitlinkbetweencontributionsandcontinued % contractwork,theattorneysaid."ButI'msurepeopletookthatmessagefromit,"theattorney  said,addingthatwasthemessagehetook."I'veneverhadcallslikethis."   Theattorney'sfirmhasreceivedworkfromThomas'officeworthhundredsofthousandsofdollars.   Goldman,reachedbyphone,declinedcomment."Ifyouhavequestions,pleasereferthemto c! AndrewThomas,"hesaidbeforehangingup.Goldmanalsodidnotreturnanemailthatasked P"  himwhathispositioniswiththe2008campaignorhowthecampaignchosewhichattorneysto =#! calltosolicitdonations. *$z"  Goldman,anattorneyandFountainHillsbusinessman,wasnamedaspecialdeputycounty &T!$ attorneyinFebruary2005.Hedrawsnosalary,accordingtohisoathofofficefiledwiththe &A"% MaricopaCountyRecorder'sOffice. '.#&  Fourdaysaftertakingthecountyjob,GoldmanwasnamedchairmanofThomas'reelection )%( campaign.InMarch,Thomasfiledamendedpaperworkthatnamedhimselfchairman. *%)  FewattorneyslistedonaflierasfundraisersfortheAprilreelectioneventreturnedphone ,'+ messages.AlthoughitseemsseveralcalledThomas'office."Youdonecallingeveryoneinthe l-(, worldtofindsomedirtsomeplace?"_Lotstein_Ԁaskedme.   Theoneattorneywhodidspeakanonymouslysaidit'snosurprisethatotherlawyersare  reluctanttotalk,giventhedollarsatstake,andexpressedsurprisethatThomaswouldpersonally w solicitdonationsfrompeoplewhoknowhecancontrolhowmuchcontractworktheyreceive. d  "Idon'tthinkit'sagoodideatotwistthesewirestogether,"theattorneysaid. >      AX҄XXX҄Reach_Ruelas_Ԁat(602)4448473or4o Er  5  #X҄XXAX҄B$#/  AX҄XXX҄richard.ruelas@arizonarepublic.com6$r$  7 $#X҄XXAX҄F%#AX҄XXX҄.  B  A XAX҄# A &#A   # A |&##X҄X :&#