/ Scott G. Winterton /Pool
By Dillon Rosenblatt | Arizona Capitol Times
Investigators tasked by Maricopa County Officials to investigate Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen found no evidence he “neglected” his duties.
However, they said it’s up to county supervisors to determine whether his refusal to cooperate in the probe and his alleged misuse of county resources amount to “neglect of duty.”
“The ultimate issue the board must decide is whether Mr. Petersen’s conduct amounts to ‘neglect of duty’ within the meaning of [statute]. As discussed above, we did not find evidence that Mr. Petersen failed to fulfill any particular statutory obligations of the County Assessor,” the investigators concluded in their report, a copy of which was obtained by the Arizona Capitol Times.
Attorney Kory Langhofer, who represents Petersen, said the report affirms his client’s argument that his suspension from office has no basis.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors had suspended Petersen without pay for 120 days on the grounds that he was in federal custody in Arkansas and could not serve.
