Peoria has hired a private law firm to investigate a city councilman who has family connections to a group that launched political attacks on a rival candidate.
A resident filed a complaint against Ben Toma, claiming Toma coordinated with an independent expenditure committee and had compensated a family member on that committee. Both are violations of state law.
The committee, called the Best Peoria Can Be, sent mailers slamming a rival candidate days before the primary election in August.
Toma said he had not known that a relative had formed the committee and funded the mailer, but the committee’s address is listed as the house of Toma’s mother, and his brother-in-law is the group’s treasurer.
Toma has been on the council since being appointed in June. He has denied allegations that he had any involvement with the committee or knew anything about it but said he “can’t refute the actual content of (the mailer) because it does appear to be true.”
Reported by Jackee Coe, The Arizona Republic
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