By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services
Former state Rep. Don Shooter has no legal right to the notes and interviews of investigators whose report led his colleagues to eject him from the House of Representatives.
In an extensive ruling Monday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Bruce Cohen said the work of the two attorneys hired by House Speaker J.D. Mesnard is protected by attorney-client privilege. And Cohen said that Mesnard did not waive that privilege when he released the final 82-page report or even provide the public with some additional documents.
But Cohen said there’s also another problem with the subpoenas that Kraig Marton, the attorney for the ousted Yuma lawmaker, has issued for the materials.
He pointed out that Shooter wants the documents to defend himself in a civil lawsuit filed by Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, who was listed in the report as one of the victims of Shooter’s sexual harassment.
