Legislature to write code of conduct after scandals
Leaders at Arizona’s Capitol may impose new rules to govern the behavior of lawmakers in the wake of sexual misconduct scandals that have roiled the statehouse since late last year. A team of eight lawmakers — two Democrats and two Republicans from each chamber — will write the rules.
Leaders at Arizona’s Capitol may impose new rules to govern the behavior of lawmakers in the wake of sexual scandals that have roiled the statehouse since late last year.
The move to create a bi-partisan panel of lawmakers to draft a new behavioral code of conduct comes less than four days after The Arizona Republic reported concerns about the lack of of formal policies banning romantic relationships between lawmakers and staffers.
House Speaker J.D. Mesnard and Senate President Steve Yarbrough, both Chandler Republicans, announced the creation of the panel in a joint statement Tuesday afternoon.
The Legislature’s lack of a policy prohibiting lawmaker-staffer relations was highlighted last week by revelations that former state Sen. Steve Montenegro, R-Litchfield Park, had for months exchanged flirtatious text messages and photos with a Senate staffer.
Some lawmakers said the incident highlighted the need for rules that draw clear boundaries between staffers and more-powerful elected officials.
Mesnard and Yarbrough said a team of eight lawmakers — two Democrats and two Republicans from each chamber — will write the rules.
Members of the committee haven’t yet been named. Any rules they recommend likely would face a vote in both chambers.
“While it’s unfortunate that such a code is needed, legislators will certainly benefit from greater clarity, and the public will be better served by having a behavioral code of conduct in place,” Mesnard said in the statement.
The announcement is significant because it’s the first time that legislative leaders have agreed to jointly adopt behavioral rules for elected officials.
It’s also significant because while the House had previously agreed to create a code of conduct, Republican leadership in the Senate was silent on the issue following the Montenegro scandal.
“This work is important for the benefit of the public and the respective institutions,” Yarbrough, R-Chandler, said in the statement.
Neither chamber has a written policy specifically addressing relationship boundaries between elected officials and staffers. However, Mesnard and Senate GOP spokesman Mike Philipsen have said new employees are told during orientation not to date elected officials.
Mesnard said the committee will review code of conduct policies in the private sector and as well as other state and local governments to determine how — and if — the rules need to be updated.
The goal of the committee, Mesnard said, will be to help lawmakers better “police” their own conduct. Mensard said in an interview with The
Republic the goal of the committee is “to outline something beyond what we have now, which is mostly tailored toward financial conflicts of interest, so we can more precisely, not only police ourselves, but know what the standards are.”
Last week, Mesnard said he expected the House’s new behavioral rules would bar relationships between lawmakers and staffers.
The effort to address the lack of a policy started last year, after multiple House members were accused of harassment or inappropriate relationships with staffers.
Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, responded to Tuesday’s announcement with a brief Twitter post, writing, “I hope this addresses member on member retaliation and abuse of power.”
Last year, Ugenti-Rita was the first woman to publicly accuse former Rep. Don Shooter of sexual harassment. An investigation found Shooter, who was expelled from the House on Feb. 1, sexually harassed seven women during his time as a state senator and representative.
Meanwhile in the Senate, the Montenegro situation has intensified pressure on GOP leadership to act.
Montenegro, who’s running for a vacant West Valley congressional seat in Tuesday’s special election, is accused of pursuing a cyber affair with with Stephanie Holford, a junior-level staffer.
After the story broke last week, Holford’s attorney held a news conference outside the Senate building, saying the Senate had failed to protect her.
Messages released Feb. 22 by Holford’s attorney, and others previously reviewed by The Republic, revealed a flirtatious texting relationship that crossed professional boundaries.
Montenegro, a Christian minister who is a married father, first called media reports of the text messages “false.” Later, he acknowledged the texts were authentic.