azcapitoltimes.com

Federal authorities are investigating allegations that Attorney General Tom Horne illegally collaborated with an independent expenditure committee that spent more than a half-million dollars on negative ads against his Democratic opponent in 2010, the Arizona Capitol Times has learned.

A complaint filed in February by a prosecutor in Horne’s own office - and a onetime political ally of Horne - alleges that the attorney general collaborated with an independent expenditure called Business Leaders for Arizona, which received $115,000 from Horne’s brother-in-law in California.

The complaint, filed with the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, also alleges that Horne rewarded the chairwoman of the campaign group with a high-paying job at the Attorney General’s Office.

Ah, Arizona. What else is there to say? Maybe Horne is voluntarily submitting to the investigation to distract from the ongoing legal problems (and Birfer antics) of Joe Arpaio? In any event, being in the Arizona field offices of the FBI must be a lot of fun, these days.