(Arizona) Treasurer likely will resign

[brooklynite]

State Treasurer David Petersen is expected to resign as part of a plea agreement to resolve criminal allegations connected to his work for a character-education non-profit.

His attorney confirmed Thursday in a statement that Petersen would plead guilty to one misdemeanor charge for knowingly filing a false or incomplete financial-disclosure statement at a hearing in Maricopa County Superior Court scheduled for Wednesday.

Sources close to the investigation told The Arizona Republic the deal also requires that Petersen step down from his elected post before sentencing.

...snip...

The plea to the single misdemeanor charge will resolve months of investigation into allegations of theft and fraud, mostly revolving around Petersen's connections with the non-profit Character Training Institute in Oklahoma City. Allegations included that Petersen used state resources and charged the state for travel associated with his duties with the non-profit. Petersen, a Republican from Mesa, was elected to the $70,000 a year post as state treasurer in 2002 after serving eight years in the state Legislature. He announced that he would not seek re-election in February after news broke of the criminal investigation by the Attorney General's Office.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1020petersen1020.html

[EST]

1. "Character training institute"

Heeheeheeheeheeeee! Haw!

[AzDar]

2. Actually, this is going on in Arizona. n/t

[rodeodance]

3. guess he should have a bit of that Character Education!

[havocmom]

4. 'Republican, Mesa' is all I need to read ...

yeah, I am a bigot. I have a total loathing of Mesa Republicans. They are so slimy they couldn't make it in Phoenix!