By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services via Arizona Capitol Times
The head of the Arizona Corporation Commission said today the indictment of a former member on bribery charges might make the case for appointing utility regulators instead of electing them.
Tom Forese noted that Gary Pierce is charged with accepting money through his wife from a utility executive in exchange for supporting two separate financial matters to benefit that family-owned company. Pierce, through an attorney, has said the indictment represents selected use of facts by the government.
Forese is not commenting about the charges which also have ensnared Pierce’s wife, Sherry, lobbyist Jim Norton, and George H. Johnson, manager of Johnson Utilities.
