Arizona State Senator Scott Bundgaard apologized to his fellow lawmakers today for any trouble his public fight with his girlfriend might have caused them.
But if police are correct that Bundgaard cried "immunity" after police showed up at the scene, he probably should also apologize to Arizonans for abusing a law clearly intended to prevent political corruption. Article IV, Part 2, Section 6 of the state Constitution was designed to stop powerful, shady politicans from spurring the arrest of a lawmaker whose vote might be crucial on a particular matter.
Declaring immunity after a domestic squabble on the freeway was a Bung-hole move that allowed the lawmaker to drive home and nurse his black eye while police booked his sweetheart into a jail cell.
Bundgaard was a convicted felon as a teen; he stole car stereos from the store where he worked. His rights to vote and hold office were later restored, and Bundgaard was elected first as a state Representative in 1994, then as a state senator in 1996. He was out of office from 2003 to 2010, when he returned to the senate. New Times has long followed his exploits as a stereotypical Arizona right-winging lawmaker, from his push to defy a federal ban on ozone-destroying Freon to accidentally embarrassing Democratic lawmaker Kyrsten Sinema.
As you'll read from the press releases below by police and Bundgaard's buddy, PR guy Jason Rose, Bundgaard's girlfriend, Aubry Ballard, allegedly started the fight after she accused Bundgaard of getting too close to his partner at a charity dance rehearsal. Bundgaard admits the woman hit her knees while he yanked her out of his car.
What a guy.
