The Arizona Attorney General’s Office won’t investigate Secretary of State Michele Reagan for her decision not to issue a new election procedures manual for 2016, Arizona Capitol Times reports.
Chandler attorney Tom Ryan argued in a complaint on Thursday state law requires Reagan to issue a new manual for every election cycle, as previous secretaries of state have done. The political activist charged Reagan’s decision to ignore that requirement was a felony, which could have forced her from office had Attorney General Mark Brnovich pursued an investigation.
Chief Deputy Michael Bailey said there are several interpretations of the statute. Previous secretaries of state have issued new manuals each cycle. Bailey said one could also argue that the statute requires a new manual for each individual election. And, he noted, Reagan has interpreted the law to mean only that a procedures manual must be in place, which is what the secretary of state decided to leave in place the manual from the 2014 cycle.
Bailey said the Attorney General’s Office isn’t taking a position on which of those three interpretations is best. And because the law requires knowing or willful violation, Bailey said there’s no basis for criminal charges, Arizona Capitol Times reported.
