Rep. David Cook/Ben Moffat/Cronkite News
By Andrew Oxford | Arizona Republic
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office opened an investigation into state Rep. David Cook, the Pinal County sheriff and others after allegations that the lawman called off plans to seize property belonging to the family of an agriculture industry lobbyist, according to a letter obtained by The Arizona Republic.
In the letter, a special agent from the Attorney General’s Office sought records in June from the Arizona House of Representatives’ ethics investigation into Cook, which revolved around claims Cook, R-Globe, intervened to stop the planned seizure and had a romantic relationship with the lobbyist, AnnaMarie Knorr, which Cook and Knorr have denied.
The chair of the investigation said it was at a minimum inappropriate and irregular for Cook to contact Pinal County officials about tax-related seizures, but decided in July against taking any action on the allegations.
