If you have not yet read the state House Ethics Committee’s investigative report on Rep. Daniel Patterson, I recommend you take some time to do so. (We have it posted on The Range for your convenience, of course.)
It’s pretty damning, and makes the case that Democrats and Republicans alike have—for quite some time—had serious problems with Patterson’s ethics (or lack thereof), temper and demeanor.
This leads me to ask: Why did it take an unfortunate domestic incident for this all to be revealed?
The report notes transgressions and questionable behavior by Patterson going back to at least 2009. However, his fellow Democrats, with a few exceptions, never publicly called him out.
Yeah, you have to be a team player, yadda yadda yadda. I get that. But when a legislator—in fact, one of my representatives in the state House—is being abusive and is acting inappropriately (writing a letter on official House letterhead and asking Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo for free stuff? Seriously?), I’d like to know about it, please.
Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers has been one of Patterson’s biggest defenders. In September 2010, when we reported on the fact that Patterson was evading service on an order of protection filed by his now ex-wife, and had apparently moved in with his then-campaign manager Georgette Escobar (who was being paid with public Clean Elections dollars), Rogers strongly encouraged us to drop the story about Patterson, saying that the mess was a family matter, and nothing more.
Well, now we know the truth. Rogers and the other Democrats who have defended Patterson and/or have not spoken up about his behavior have some explaining to do.
This article appears in Apr 5-11, 2012.
The people who have had regular interactions with Daniel Patterson in the course of the regular business of the House of Representatives would have the most to say, and the biggest stake in the outcome of this situation. From the perspective of Jeff Rogers, he hasn’t been directly aware of those interactions at the House. That House Minority Leader Chad Campbell is taking the lead in pushing this situation to resolution is very appropriate. From my discussions with him, he’s been aware of the problem for a long time. The public incident with Escobar a month or so ago made it all come to a head at the Capitol. To protect his staff and colleagues, Campbell is taking an appropriate stand.
Arizona is not a state where it is easy to get rid of people in power when they are abusing it.
When Terry Stewart (the former director of DOC) and his corrupt empire finally came crumbling down a few years ago, they just moved his good ol’ boys underlings in administrative jobs elsewhere (like the State Hospital) and sometimes they even rear their ugly heads again (like Chuck Ryan re-appearing as DOC Director)!
Until voters and the general public start raising more of an outcry we will continue to see this happen. If HB2751 is allowed to pass, NO state employees are going to act as whistleblowers regarding corrupt administrators, croneyism jobs and other wastes and misuses of taxpayers’ money!