Apr 5, 2011
Why is Brewer keeping ties to Coughlin?
Governor says she wants to clean up Fiesta Bowl mess,
but her top adviser doubled as a $500,000 lobbyist for Fiesta Bowl
PHOENIX -- This week, Gov. Jan Brewer publicized her plans to repair the Fiesta Bowl's image. Yet in a Tuesday interview with 12 News, she maintained her support for top adviser Chuck Coughlin. Coughlin was Brewer's 2010 campaign manager -- and he was also a top Fiesta Bowl lobbyist who netted over a half-million dollars from the gig.
When news reports first revealed that Republican lobbyists turned the Fiesta Bowl into a front for illegal campaign contributions, people across Arizona were rightfully outraged. But how can the public have any confidence in our Republican governor's clean-up efforts if she is maintaining close ties to Coughlin?
This lack of transparency feeds the culture of corruption that news reports have exposed. Republican Attorney General Tom Horne is making matters worse by refusing to recuse himself from the investigation into the illegal campaign contribution scheme. Just last week, top Fiesta Bowl lobbyists Coughlin and Doug Cole hosted a fancy fundraiser for Horne. Why would the public trust Horne to investigate the Fiesta Bowl-GOP scheme?
Watch the 12 News segment here:
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