By Gary Grado | Arizona Capitol Times
A federal jury found former legislative aide John Mills guilty of nine counts of wire fraud late Tuesday in connection with siphoning off $128,000 from former Speaker Jim Weiers’ 2008 campaign fund for personal use.
The trial was in U.S. District Court in Phoenix. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Battista told the jury in opening statements July 11 that Mills was financially over-extended with two high-dollar mortgages. Battista said Mills stole the money by forging Weiers’ signature nine times to get cash from the former speaker’s campaign account, and made 18 electronic transfers from the campaign account to his personal account.
