Scott Bundgaard

Scott Bundgaard is a Republican politician who served in the Arizona legislature. He served as the majority leader of the Arizona State Senate from January 10, 2011 until his ouster on March 15, 2011 by a vote of the Senate Republican caucus due to a personal scandal.^[1] On January 6, 2012 he abruptly resigned from the Senate just before he was to testify before the Ethics Committee investigating charges of his personal and official misconduct.^[2]

Bundgaard had previously served in the Arizona State Senate for six years (1997–2003) and Arizona House of Representatives for two years (1995-1997). In 2000 Bundgaard was a prime sponsor of Senate Bill 1220^[3] which created the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority to build taxpayer-funded stadiums for National Football League and major league baseball teams.^[4]

While serving in the Senate, Bundgaard worked on matters of fiscal policy by cutting taxes and cutting spending, working to eliminate affirmative action programs,^[5] working to end dependence on foreign fuels by promoting renewable energy,^[6] working to protect the public from unsafe products and financial scams.^[7] He worked toward ending restrictions by public schools against student-led Bible clubs,^[8] and putting pressure on home owner's associations who worked to prevent members from flying the American flag^[9]

He ran unsuccessfully in 2002 for the Republican nomination for the United States House of Representatives in Arizona's second congressional district, receiving only 16.1% of the vote.^[10] He returned to the state senate in 2011 after winning election to the open District 4 Senate seat.

Controversies

On the evening of February 25, 2011 police responded to a call regarding a man, later identified as Bundgaard, pulling a woman out of a car in Phoenix Arizona.^[11] Both Bundgaard and his girlfriend showed marks of a physical altercation.^[12] Both were taken into custody but only his girlfriend was arrested because Bundgaard stated he had legislative immunity from arrest while legislature is in session.^[13][14] Members of the legislature are not allowed to be arrested except for treason, felony, and breaches of the peace, and they shall not be subject to any civil process during the session of the legislature, nor for fifteen days next before the commencement of each session.^[15] On June 10, 2011 he was served with a summons^[16] and complaint^[17] for assault (ARS 13-1203A), endangerment (ARS 13-1201A), and domestic violence (ARS 13-3601A).

At Senator Bundgaard's Initial Appearance in Phoenix City Court, the prosecution asked his attorney if they would agree to meet and discuss a possible plea bargain. On August 16, 2011, after lengthy negotiations between both the Senator's attorneys and prosecutors, he pled no contest and agreed to participate in domestic violence classes for six months. He was ordered to pay his victim $1,336.99 in criminal restitution.^[18] A "no contest" plea is treated by the courts like a guilty plea.^[19]

He was the prime sponsor of SB 1412 in 2000,^[20] a controversial alternative fuels program that cost the Arizona taxpayers over $100 million.^[21] As a legislator he tried to take advantage of the program by buying five vehicles at government expense.^[22]

In 1999 he was investigated for improper interference with local authorities on behalf of an industrial environmental polluter.^[23]

He was fined $3,500 by the Federal Elections Commission for improper campaign finance reporting during the 2002 congressional campaign.^[24]

Scott Bundgaard has a long history of civil^[25] and criminal^[26] litigation. In the 1986 he was convicted of burglary. After he had served his sentence his felony conviction was "expunged."^[27] In 2003 he was sued by a client for mishandling funds and subsequently surrendered his securities license.^[22]

In 2006 he was married in a covenant marriage but his wife had to call the police during the honeymoon.^[28] She had the union annulled shortly thereafter^[29] citing threats and domestic violence as reasons.^[30][30]

He used his friendship with a judge in 2010 to get special consideration regarding a traffic citation he received resulting in a reprimand by the Supreme Court for the judge and additional expense to law enforcement.^[31]

In September 2011 Mr. Bundgaard filed ethics complaints against members of the Senate Ethics Committee who had voted to investigate him for ethics violations. Interim committee members were appointed and the charges against the original committee members were investigated and dismissed. Shortly thereafter Mr. Bundgaard's attorney's withdrew from his case having not received payment for any billings since Mr. Bundgaard first engaged them. His legal bill for his criminal case is believed to be nearly one hundred thousand dollars.^[32]

In December 2012 Bundgaard filed a $10,000,000 lawsuit against the City of Phoenix alleging that three police officers, the mayor of Phoenix, the chief of police, five civilian witnesses and the victim of his domestic violence attack conspired to defame his character.^[33] The case was transferred to federal district court. ^[34] In March 2014 he requested the lawsuit be dismissed without a judgement. ^[35]

References