Former prosecutor-turned-lobbyist Gary Husk has been charged with eight felonies in an alleged campaign-contribution scheme.
"In the course of a separate high-profile investigation, prosecutors discovered that over more than four years Gary Husk and his company directed its employees and in some cases, their spouses, to make contributions to various political campaigns with the promise of reimbursement," says a statement from Attorney General Tom Horne's office. "Once the contributions were made, the employees were reimbursed from Husk Partners, Inc. or directly from Gary Husk, which often coded the reimbursements under the firm's account as an 'office expense.'"
That "separate high-profile investigation" is undoubtedly the Fiesta Bowl, an organization for which Husk was a lobbyist. During that time, the organization's CEO John Junker was hit with very similar charges. Junker eventually pleaded guilty to a charge in the case.
The contributions from Husk's employees, which prosecutors allege were made from 2007 to 2010, weren't exactly going to people on one side of the political spectrum.
The grand jury indictment alleges contributions were made to lefties like Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, and righties like ex-Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas.
The AG's office says there's no indication that any of the campaigns had any idea of Husk's alleged scheme.
You can check out the indictment for yourself on the next page.
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