By Tim Steller | Arizona Daily Star
(Editor’s note: Posting opinion pieces does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Rose Law Group.)
It makes sense that the results of the criminal investigation into Rio Nuevo’s finances emerged last week in a convoluted, back-door manner.
The whole thing has been convoluted and back-door from the beginning — not just the investigation, but Rio Nuevo itself.
News that nobody will be prosecuted for squandering millions in taxpayer money came via an email sent out Thursday by the state-appointed Rio Nuevo board. That was the day after they received the word.
But Assistant Attorney General Mike Jette penned the letter to his supervisor on Dec. 11, 2012. In other words, Rio Nuevo’s many local critics have been pining hopelessly for indictments for 10 months since the investigation ended.
Jette, who worked on the investigation with FBI agents for 18 months, said it is standard practice for the Attorney General’s Office to keep confidential any decision not to pursue criminal charges against the target of an investigation. The idea is that it would cause unfair embarrassment to the target, which seems sensible in a more typical investigation.
