AZ Dems Launch "Lobbyists Love Ken" Website; Say Secretary of State Ken Bennett is Too Chummy with Industry He Regulates

Monica Alonzo October 19, 2010 3:02PM

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The Arizona Democratic Party launched a website poking fun at Secretary of State Ken Bennett for getting chummy with the lobbyists that he is "duty bound to ensure ... are regulated and kept in line."

The website, Lobbyists Love Ken, is dressed in pink, covered in hearts and even comes with a love quiz for lobbyists to determine whether Bennett is the right candidate for them.

Bennett was appointed Secretary of State in 2009 when then-Secretary of State Jan Brewer stumbled into the governor's chair. He is running against State Representative Chris Deschene, who reps Arizona's 2nd Legislative District.

Some low-lights from the "Lobbyists Love Ken" website:

Bennett rents a room inside lobbyist Kevin DeMenna's office on the backside of the Capitol.
He has collected about 60 percent of his campaign contributions from lobbyists, family members of lobbyists or people connected to the lobbying industry.
One of Bennett's first acts in office was to give a free pass to 492 registered lobbyists for not following the rules.
One of Bennett's biggest failures in office was allowing fraudulent candidates to stay on the ballot in this election. Remember the Green Party scandal?

Deschene is a member of the Navajo Nation who served as a Major in the U.S. Marine Corps. He got his undergrad degree in Mechanical Engineering at the U.S. Navel Academy in Annapolis and later attended Arizona State University, where he earned both a Masters in Mechanical Engineering and a law degree.

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Monica Alonzo

Contact: Monica Alonzo