Terry Goddard (D)
PHOENIX, Ariz. (Legal Newsline)-Arizona's attorney general is investigating claims the Arizona Republican Party broke campaign finance laws by failing to identify who provided $105,000 in political contributions.
The case was referred for review last week to Democratic Attorney General Terry Goddard's office after the secretary of state found that there was reasonable cause to believe a violation had occurred, Goddard spokeswoman Anne Titus Hilby told Legal Newsline.
In October, the Arizona Democratic Party filed a complaint that two contributions the Republican Party disclosed on an Oct. 7 campaign finance report that totaled $105,000 were only listed as coming from a group called SCA.
Hilby said the attorney general's office is looking into the alleged civil campaign finance violation, noting the matter is not a criminal inquiry. The case, she said, "is currently under review."
Last Wednesday, Secretary of State Jan Brewer told Goddard's office that she believed there was reason to believe the Republican Party violated state law requiring political committees to properly identify their contributors.
The contributions in question reportedly bankrolled political ads against Dan Saban, a candidate for Maricopa County sheriff, and Maricopa County attorney candidate Tim Nelson.
From Legal Newsline: Reach reporter Chris Rizo at chrisrizo@legalnewsline.com.