The Arizona Republic reports that John Junker, Fiesta Bowl CEO and Arizona resident, has been fired for illegal bundling and reimbursements from employees of his non-profit, no-bid contracts for services that are difficult if not impossible to identify, and reimbursement for questionable and/or illegitimate expenses, among other things. There is a 270 page report I have not yet located. If I find it I will update the diary.
To wit:
- Questionable political activities. Employees told investigators that the bowl reimbursed 11 staffers for more than $40,000 in political donations under a system first described in a 2009 Arizona Republic report. If true, the reimbursements would be a violation of state and federal campaign finance laws as well as a potential violation of Internal Revenue Service regulations that bar non-profits from making political campaign contributions. The bowl's political activities, according to employees interviewed in the report, were directed toward public officials who could help the bowl maintain its position with favorable legislation and ward off unfriendly laws. Those activities extended to coordinating and hosting fundraisers for candidates, also a potential violation of IRS regulations for nonprofits, giving politicians free tickets and sending them on out-of-town football junkets with lobbyists.
Of course, what's an Arizona story without a mention of the Maricopa Sheriff's Dept.
- Contract irregularities. A half-dozen contracts with people or organizations, including several board members, also came under investigators' scrutiny for their cost or seeming lack of oversight.
Blue Steel Consulting, a security contractor run by a full time Maricopa County Sheriff's Office employee, was paid $182,000 for services that current bowl Chairman Duane Woods said are not needed. A past chairman called the expense "excessive." Investigators also uncovered a secret bowl contract with an unidentified individual who annually is given six free Fiesta Bowl tickets and paid 10 percent of the amount of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation's sponsorship contract for the Fiesta Bowl Parade - or an average of $40,000 a year - for undisclosed services. Fiesta Bowl employees told investigators it was a mystery even to employees who the person was or why the payment was made.
I checked his donation page at opensecrets.com. You may look for yourself if this link works. Junker Contributions, Arizona I didn't see a lot of donations to Democrats on his personal list, but that doesn't mean the bundled donations didn't go to any. The bundled donations look like they went to politicians that would "help" the Fiesta Bowl management group. Of course, I am speculating that the bulk of the recipients were of the "R" variety because of Mr. Junker's preferences and because Arizona is a reddish state.
I also enjoyed this bit from the USA Today article
The Fiesta Bowl hired former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods to conduct what was described as an independent investigation. Woods, who had political and professional ties to key figures in the controversy, reported within days that he found "no credible evidence" of wrongdoing.
I'm not holding my breath that we'll see an investigation of this weak effort/coverup any time soon either. Just pointing out how the elite coterie protect each other.
Read More
