By Mollie Reilly | Huffington Post
Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett is on the payroll of a conservative activist’s cancer hospital company, KTVK in Phoenix reports.
Bennett, a Republican, reportedly earns $2,000 a month for his work on the Cancer Treatment Centers of America board. The for-profit company was started in 1988 by Richard Stephenson, who also sits on the board of the prominent Tea Party group FreedomWorks. KTVK reports that Bennett has received tens of thousands of dollars from Stephenson’s company.
Bennett denies any conflict of interest from his work on the board.
“I don’t think there’s anything inappropriate, in fact it’s an honor for me to serve on a board that’s helping treat people for cancer,” he said. “I’m on other boards, my whole life isn’t about being secretary of state.”
However, progressive groups in the state are raising eyebrows at the Republican’s ties to the Tea Party activist.
“We known that FreedomWorks and Mr. Stephenson are engaged in electoral politics, there appears to be a real conflict of interest,” Arizona Advocacy Network director Sam Wercinski said.
