A dispute over campaign signs has erupted into charges of political intimidation and ethics violations.
Rep. Brenda Barton, R-Payson, said Tuesday she will be asking the Senate Ethics Committee to look into her claim that Sen. Rich Crandall, R-Mesa, threatened to kill any of her bills that come to the Education Committee which he chairs. That threat followed Barton taking pictures of two young women — one who turned out to be Crandall’s daughter — removing campaign signs of Rep. John Fillmore, R-Apache Junction.
Fillmore and Crandall are facing off in the Republican primary for state Senate.
“Education is a cause Sen. Crandall professes to champion and yet he clearly demonstrated that it goes under the bus when it comes to settling his personal scores and that he’ll use his position of trust to do just that,’’ Barton said. “This alone should be grounds for his dismissal from chairmanship of any committee.’’
The threat came in a telephone message Crandall left on Barton’s phone last Friday.
“You know I’m furious at you right now,’’ the message says. “You better not try to run any education legislation whatsoever the next two years.’’
Crandall did not dispute the message. But he said there was a good reason for his ire.
He said someone put the photos Barton took on the Internet along with sarcastic comments about his daughter. That, Crandall said, resulted in “this stack of emails now that are so vile, so disgusting, from Fillmore supporters.’’
Crandall said he was reacting the way any father would.
But Crandall sidestepped the question on Tuesday whether now, after having time to reflect, he still intends to refuse to give a hearing to any Barton-sponsored measure that comes over from the House.
“I’m not going to answer that question,’’ he said.
Barton said the issue goes beyond the threat.
“He is using his position to speak to me in a demeaning and a bullying manner,’’ she said of Crandall.
The issue that started it all involves those 4-by-8 foot campaign signs.
Fillmore contends Crandall’s daughter and someone else — acting under Crandall’s direction — removed his signs and replaced them with Crandall’s. Crandall’s contention is that his signs were there first and that Fillmore supporters took them down and attached Fillmore signs to the posts.
Fillmore, who was at Tuesday’s press conference with Barton, said his ire was not over the signs. He said he has filed a theft complaint with the Mesa Police Department.
Instead, Fillmore said, the issue is Crandall’s conduct towards Barton.
“He spoke down to her,’’ Fillmore said of Crandall’s message to Barton, even saying in the phone message that “you need to grow up.’’
Tuesday’s press conference was organized by Rey Torres, the House Republican publicist, and held in the old Senate chambers, which is a state building. But Torres said the event was about the ethics complaint to be filed and is unrelated to the fact that Fillmore is running against Crandall.
JMJ posted at 7:23 pm on Wed, Jul 18, 2012.
I am loving the infighting of the east valley's majority party. Hopefully, they will tear themselves apart right before our eyes. We are back to the stealing of campaign signs and having offspring participating in the surly side of east valley politics, just like when Pearce was being recalled.
Rich Crandall's demeaning and sneering attitude toward teachers was evident several years back when, during a meeting filled with teachers in the MPS Board Room, Crandall talked down to the educators present with a "YOU PEOPLE ARE JUST LUCKY YOU HAVE JOBS" which he arrogantly hurled at the them. He lost all my respect that day. From what I know of him, having seen him on the floor exercising his majority tyranny hold on things educational for Arizona, he's a self-serving, arrogant jerk. Stupid, too, to leave a voice mail.
Stupid is as stupid does. Glad it is catching up to him.
fae4now posted at 1:44 pm on Wed, Jul 18, 2012.
I'm with you Downtownresident
downtownresident posted at 7:12 pm on Tue, Jul 17, 2012.
samkat,
I'd vote for anybody but a Pearce.
samkat posted at 5:08 pm on Tue, Jul 17, 2012.
You can pretty well determine Crandall's character by the fact he is moving from one district to another so his bosom buddy Worsley can go against Pearce since they are both of the same illegal immigration advocate bunch. When Crandall and Olson were both in my district, the toads would never respond to any of my emails which speak volumes of what they think of non mormons in their district.
Engaged Voter posted at 4:09 pm on Tue, Jul 17, 2012.
Crandall, his idiot daughter, and the as-yet unnamed accomplice all need to be charged.
Felony theft isn't a joke...at least, it's not supposed to be.
Hagar posted at 3:07 pm on Tue, Jul 17, 2012.
Crandall obviously is a summa cum laude graduate of the Alinsky-Parraz-Lewis-Worsely-Flake-Adams School of Politics, i.e. when confronted with wrongdoing, blame your opponent. Don't worry about showing no class.
downtownresident posted at 2:46 pm on Tue, Jul 17, 2012.
This is a fine example of the tyrants that run politics today.
Strike-all ammendments that completly change the existing bill to suit the whim of the arrogant rat changing the bill.
Petty, childish arguments over unimportant things are the rule, not the exception.
Ignoring perfectly good legislation to punish someone is the epitomy of arrogance.
Rich, you are an idiot!
Cerulean posted at 2:15 pm on Tue, Jul 17, 2012.
This is interesting.
I do not know what kind of education bill Rep. Brenda Barton, R-Payson might introduce; it may be a very good thing to block them! I can only guess.
However, I think Sen. Crandall leaving a message on her answering machine was stupid!
Let’s vote them all out!