PHOENIX - State authorities are investigating whether a recently formed group funded by a politically connected mining company violated Arizona's campaign-finance laws.
Complaints filed with the state allege that the Pinal Truth Squad didn't properly register as an independent expenditure committee, The Arizona Republic reported. The complaints also alleged that the group failed to make notification of spending and didn't identify who paid for ads critical of a Florence mayoral candidate who opposes the proposed development of an underground copper mine in Florence.
The Arizona Attorney General's Office said it will conduct a civil investigation of the group.
The group was created Feb. 15 in the heat of Florence's municipal elections dominated by the mining controversy. Curis Resources Inc., an Arizona affiliate of a Canadian company that wants to begin copper extraction this year, supports the Truth Squad.
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The group is run by incoming state Parks Director Bryan Martyn, who is quitting his position as director of the Pinal Truth Squad to take the state job. Martyn said he was paid for running the organization and that some of the funding came from Curis.
Martyn said he was quitting the Truth Squad because "it's inappropriate for the state parks director to be the head of a group that's going after a particular business owner," referring to developer George Johnson, who opposes the mine.
The Truth Squad website and mailers linked Tom Rankin, who won the mayoral race, to Johnson, a powerful Pinal County developer who also operates a water utility.
Michael Mandell, an attorney for the Pinal Truth Squad, said his client did not violate any campaign-finance laws because it didn't attempt to influence the outcome of any election.
