By Richard Williamson
Glendale, Ariz., a Phoenix suburb that has become a professional sports mecca through aggressive bond financing, was enveloped in a political dust storm yesterday after four City Council members and the city clerk were indicted on felony charges of falsifying financial disclosure records.
The indictments followed an investigation prompted by a letter from former city attorney Rick Flaaen, who resigned under pressure from the council after he was accused of using city-owned computers at home to access unauthorized adult Web sites.
According to county attorney Rick Romley, city clerk Pam Hanna aided the four council members in backdating and filing financial disclosure statements that they had failed to file on time in January. Although the documents were dated Jan. 31, 2003, the notary public's records showed they were actually filed later in the year, in August and September, Romley said.
Had the members simply filed the statements late, they would have been subject to a $500 fine, said Barnett Lotstein, spokesman for the county attorney. Instead, they are facing felony charges over a cover-up.
Specifically, the council members "violated financial disclosure laws and then covered up their misconduct by tampering with public records, destroying public records, presenting false instruments for filing and perjury," according to a statement from Romley's office.
The city council members who were indicted were vice mayor Tom Eggleston, David Goulet, Steve Frate and Manny Martinez.
William Foreman, an attorney representing Frate, said the indictments stemmed from a political dispute that should not have resulted in charges against his client.
"To suggest that he was doing something dishonest or corrupt is just flat false," Foreman said. "This is a good, honest guy and he is being prosecuted for political reasons. As the case unfolds in coming weeks, I think we will see motives that are just flat wrong."
Attorneys for the other council members could not be reached for comment yesterday. Darrow Soll, an attorney representing Hanna, told the Arizona Republic that the case appeared "fairly trivial" and that there was no criminal intent on Hanna's part.
Lotstein said the charges were not based on the contents of the disclosure statements, only the way they were filed. Foreman said the charges implied that there might be a conflict of interest between the council members' personal investments and issues that have come before the council.
"The county attorney has acted as if there was something hidden in this statement, and there was not," Foreman said. It's the same statement that he's filed in the past."
The indictments were seen as a blow to Glendale's image. The city that won the $330 million Arizona Cardinals stadium and the new arena for the Phoenix Coyotes has been named the site of the 2008 Super Bowl. To land the Coyotes hockey arena, the council approved $180 million of general obligation and revenue bonds. The football stadium is under construction on adjacent land, financed in part with $220 million of revenue bonds from the Arizona Tourism and Sports Authority.
Glendale officials said the indictments would have no impact on city operations.
Original publication date: June 24, 2004
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