Mesa state Sen. Rich Crandall sent an email out over the weekend apologizing for a "tasteless and juvenile" joke about wife beating that he made last week at a Valley Leadership event.
Crandall, a veteran Republican lawmaker, reportedly said if former Sen. Scott Bundgaard was going to beat his wife, he should do it at home.
In his email, Crandall said he made the remark after reading a comment on Twitter about former Sen. Scott Bundgaard's decision to resign last week. Bundgaard was facing an ethics committee after an alleged domestic violence incident last spring with his then-girlfriend.
"Domestic violence is never a joking matter and my stupid attempt to be funny reflected poor judgment. I sincerely apologize for being insensitive," Crandall said in the email.
He also apologized to fellow board members at A New Leaf, a Mesa nonprofit group that provides shelter services, and to others that work with victims of domestic violence, including www.fixthehurt.org and the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
"The public has every right to hold lawmakers accountable for their actions and their words. Please continue to do so with me too. I am sorry," Crandall wrote.
Crandall made the joke during a Valley Leadership panel discussion last Friday. Valley Leadership trains existing and emerging community leaders through a number of programs.
Contact writer: (480) 898-6549 or mreese@evtrib.com
Juggernaut8000 posted at 3:36 pm on Wed, Jan 11, 2012.
It was just a joke people...
Masterrogue666 posted at 10:31 pm on Wed, Jan 11, 2012.
Not if you've ever been on the receiving end of abuse.....