Arizona Capitol Times reports the Arizona Attorney General’s Office won’t pursue charges against Todd Clodfelter after election officials alleged the former state representative violated a law barring former lawmakers from lobbying for one year after they leave office.
Clodfelter told the Yellow Sheet Report, the Arizona Capitol Times’sister publication, in February that he was paid for his work through Tag Team Strategies, a lobbying firm Clodfelter founded with his wife. At the time, Clodfelter would not specify how much he was paid, and disputed that his actions constituted lobbying.
Rep. Todd Clodfelter, R-Tucson/Photo by Rachel Leingang, Arizona Capitol Times
While state attorneys had no doubt Clodfelter was in fact lobbying, bank statements provided to the Attorney General’s Office apparently showed that Clodfelter was not paid by Tag Team Strategies in 2019.
Katie Connor, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Mark Brnovich, wrote in an email: “While we believe Mr. Clodfelter was engaged in some form of lobbying, the statute explicitly prohibits lobbying for compensation. After a thorough review of Tag Team’s bank records and answers provided by Mr. Clodfelter’s legal representative, there was no evidence that Mr. Clodfelter was compensated for his work.”
