Contact: Ardith Hildebrant, 480-991-0804, ardith_h@q Ardith Hildebrant, candidate for Treasurer in the AZGOP’s upcoming January 24th election, has filed a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against Chairman Robert Graham and the Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP). The complaint documents dozens of entries and transactions that question the compliance with federal and state campaign finance disclosure laws. Hildebrant who’s career expertise is in accounting, operational and internal auditing, and legal research related to internal audits, said “Serious violations of campaign finance laws have been raised throughout Robert Graham’s administration. That’s the main reason I felt compelled to run for Treasurer”. Hildebrant added “now we have the evidence after weeks of investigation and review”. Robert Graham and Timothy Lee, the Treasurer for the AZGOP have been asked repeatedly to explain what they have been doing; however, they have refused. This is not the first time Robert Graham and Timothy Lee have been implicated in campaign finance law violations. Timothy Lee was the AZGOP Treasurer of record when the FEC conducted a full audit of the AZGOP and his activities from 2009 through 2010. Robert Graham was the President of Americans for Responsible Leadership (ARL) when California’s Fair Political Practices Commission indicted and fined ARL and Sean Noble’s Center to Protect Patient Rights (CPPR) a record $1 million for money laundering tens of millions of dollars. The current dark and dirty money campaign finance violations are too numerous and complicated to describe in this release, but appear to be far more serious than Graham’s and Lee’s previous campaign finance activities and violations. Tom Morrissey, former Chairman of the AZGOP said, “Graham’s and his supporters’ hypocrisy is stunning. They seem to be saying because they are the establishment, crony capitalists and wealthy special interest groups that campaign finance regulations and the law don’t apply to them. The FEC should make it crystal clear to them that the law does apply to them”. Morrissey went on to say “these egregious actions are not victimless violations”. Hildebrant urged “Robert Graham, Timothy Lee and the AZGOP to come clean and submit to a voluntary full audit by the FEC”. The treasurer has a watchdog role over all aspects of financial management, working closely with the other members of the Executive Committee to safeguard the finances of the AZGOP and its contributors. The treasurer of a political committee registered with the FEC is legally responsible for that committees compliance with the federal campaign finance laws. Hildebrant said “it’s imperative that anyone interested in running for treasurer of any organization make sure they audit the books first”.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 22:12:01 +0000
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