Scott Bundgaard

Scott Bundgaard
Member of the Arizona Senate
from the 4th district
In office
January 10, 2011 – January 6, 2012
Succeeded by Judy Burges
Member of the Arizona Senate
from the 19th district
In office
January 13, 1997 – January 13, 2003
Preceded by Jan Brewer
Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
from the 19th district
In office
January 9, 1995 – January 13, 1997
Preceded by Nancy Wessel
John Keegan
Succeeded by Roberta Voss
Personal details
Born (1968-01-11) January 11, 1968
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Nationality American
Political party Republican
Alma mater Arizona State University

Scott Bundgaard is a Republican politician who served in the Arizona legislature.

He served as the majority leader of the Arizona State Senate from January 10, 2011 until was he removed as Majority Leader on March 15, 2011 by a vote of the Senate Republican caucus due to a personal scandal.[1]

On January 6, 2012 he abruptly resigned from the Senate just before he was to testify before the Ethics Committee investigating charges of his personal and official misconduct.[2] Bundgaard had previously served in the Arizona State Senate for six years (1997–2003) and Arizona House of Representatives for two years (1995-1997).

In 2000 Bundgaard was a prime sponsor of Senate Bill 1220[3] which created the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority to build taxpayer-funded stadiums for National Football League and major league baseball teams.[4]

While serving in the Senate, Bundgaard worked on matters of fiscal policy by cutting taxes and cutting spending, working to eliminate affirmative action programs,[5] end dependence on foreign fuels by promoting renewable energy,[6] and working to protect the public from unsafe products and financial scams.[7] He also tried to end restrictions by public schools against student-led Bible clubs,[8] and put pressure on home owner's associations who worked to prevent members from flying the American flag[9]

He ran unsuccessfully in 2002 for the Republican nomination for the United States House of Representatives in Arizona's second congressional district, receiving only 16.1% of the vote.[10] He returned to the state senate in 2011 after winning election to the open District 4 Senate seat.

Controversies

Domestic Violence

On the evening of February 25, 2011 police responded to a call regarding a man, later identified as Bundgaard, pulling a woman out of a car in Phoenix Arizona.[11] Both Bundgaard and his girlfriend showed marks of a physical altercation.[12] Both were taken into custody but only his girlfriend was arrested because Bundgaard stated he had legislative immunity from arrest while legislature is in session.[13][14] Members of the legislature are not allowed to be arrested except for treason, felony, and breaches of the peace, and they shall not be subject to any civil process during the session of the legislature, nor for fifteen days next before the commencement of each session.[15] On June 10, 2011 he was served with a summons[16] and complaint[17] for assault (ARS 13-1203A), endangerment (ARS 13-1201A), and domestic violence (ARS 13-3601A).

At Senator Bundgaard's Initial Appearance in Phoenix City Court, the prosecution asked his attorney if they would agree to meet and discuss a possible plea bargain. On August 16, 2011, after lengthy negotiations between both the Senator's attorneys and prosecutors, he pled no contest and agreed to participate in domestic violence classes for six months. He was ordered to pay his victim $1,336.99 in criminal restitution.[18] A "no contest" plea is treated by the courts like a guilty plea.[19]

Other Controversies

He was the prime sponsor of SB 1412 in 2000,[20] a controversial alternative fuels program that cost the Arizona taxpayers over $100 million.[21] As a legislator he tried to take advantage of the program by buying five vehicles at government expense.[22]

In 1999 he was investigated for improper interference with local authorities on behalf of an industrial environmental polluter.[23]

He was fined $3,500 by the Federal Elections Commission for improper campaign finance reporting during the 2002 congressional campaign.[24]

Scott Bundgaard has a long history of civil[25] and criminal[26] litigation. In the 1986 he was convicted of burglary. After he had served his sentence his felony conviction was "expunged."[27] In 2003 he was sued by a client for mishandling funds and subsequently surrendered his securities license.[22]

In 2006 he was married in a covenant marriage but his wife had to call the police during the honeymoon.[28] She had the union annulled shortly thereafter[29] citing threats and domestic violence as reasons.[30][30]

He used his friendship with a judge in 2010 to get special consideration regarding a traffic citation he received resulting in a reprimand by the Supreme Court for the judge and additional expense to law enforcement.[31]

In September 2011 Mr. Bundgaard filed ethics complaints against members of the Senate Ethics Committee who had voted to investigate him for ethics violations. Interim committee members were appointed and the charges against the original committee members were investigated and dismissed. Shortly thereafter Mr. Bundgaard's attorneys withdrew from his case having not received payment for any billings since Mr. Bundgaard first engaged them. His legal bill for his criminal case is believed to be nearly one hundred thousand dollars.[32]

In December 2012 Bundgaard filed a $10,000,000 lawsuit against the City of Phoenix alleging that three police officers, the mayor of Phoenix, the chief of police, five civilian witnesses and the victim of his domestic violence attack conspired to defame his character.[33] The case was transferred to federal district court. [34] In March 2014 he requested the lawsuit be dismissed without a judgement. [35]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/southwest/view/20110315ariz_senate_republicans_oust__scott_bundgaard_as_leader/srvc=home&position=recent
  2. ↑ http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2012/01/06/20120106bundgaard-ethics-hearing-testimony-continues.html
  3. ↑ Bill status Overview
  4. ↑ History Behind AZSTA
  5. ↑ Michelle Malkin » McCain finally endorses campaign to end racial preferences…or does he?
  6. ↑ Solar News
  7. ↑ http://www.lermanet.com/scientologynews/azrepublic-11092002.htm[]
  8. ↑ Education Week: News in Brief: A State Capitals Roundup
  9. ↑ Politicians call for change of rules!
  10. ↑ http://www.azsos.gov/election/2002/Primary/Canvass2002PE.pdf
  11. ↑ Phoenix News – Arizona Local News Headlines
  12. ↑ http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2011/02/26/20110226bundgaard-arrest-violencebrk.html
  13. ↑ http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/27/us-arizona-lawmaker-idUSTRE71Q0C120110227
  14. ↑ Immunity prevents Arizona lawmaker's arrest after freeway fight – CNN.com
  15. ↑ http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/const/4/6.p2.htm
  16. ↑ http://www.azcentral.com/ic/pdf/arizona-senator-bundgaard-summons.pdf
  17. ↑ http://www.azcentral.com/ic/pdf/arizona-senator-bundgaard-complaint.pdf
  18. ↑ http://www.azcentral.com/community/surprise/articles/20130329top-judges-goals-communication-fairness.html
  19. ↑ http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2011/08/16/20110816scott-bundgaard-arizona-court-plea-abrk.html
  20. ↑ http://www.azleg.gov/MembersPage.asp?Member_ID=143&Legislature=44&Session_ID=63
  21. ↑ http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/03/20/20090320brewer-altfuels0320.html
  22. 1 2 http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2011/03/10/20110310thur1-10.html
  23. ↑ http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/1999-07-08/news/keep-on-truckin/
  24. ↑ http://www.fec.gov/press/press2004/20040212af.html
  25. ↑ http://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/docket/CivilCourtCases/caseSearchResults.asp?lastName=Bundgaard&FirstName=Scott&bName=
  26. ↑ http://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/docket/JusticeCourtCases/caseSearchResults.asp?lastName=Bundgaard&FirstName=Scott&bName=
  27. ↑ State Sen. Bundgaard involved in domestic violence incident
  28. ↑ http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/LaurieRoberts/121356
  29. ↑ Ethics inquiry vs. Bundgaard on table
  30. 1 2 http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2011/03/state_senator_scott_bundgaards.php
  31. ↑ http://www.kpho.com/story/25245919/valleyjudge-questioned-about-self-promotion
  32. ↑ http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/2011/09/27/20110927bundgaard-complaint-dismissed-by-biggs.html
  33. ↑ "Bundgaard files lawsuit against Phoenix". Arizona Republic. 2012-12-20. Retrieved 2012-12-22.
  34. ↑ name="superiorcourt.maricopa.gov"
  35. ↑ http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2014/03/17/arizona-lawmaker-scott-bundgaard-fight-lawsuit/6544505/
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, April 13, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.