Ethics complaint against state Rep. Cook alleges improper campaign contribution
The state House of Representatives on Wednesday unsealed two ethics complaints against state Rep. David Cook, including an allegation he arranged a campaign contribution for the Pinal County sheriff in exchange for the lawman canceling the planned seizure of a friend’s farm property.
The farm property was owned in part by AnnaMarie Knorr, a lobbyist for an agricultural trade association. And letters Cook has sent to Knorr suggest the two may have had a romantic relationship, though they both insist they are only good friends.
The ethics complaint comes as Cook, R-Globe, faces scrutiny for his relationship with Knorr and after the trade association she represents placed her on leave amid an investigation into what it described as allegations of unprofessional conduct.
The complaint by former law enforcement officer-turned-congressional candidate Kevin Cavanaugh claims that in 2018 Cook told him he asked the Pinal County sheriff to hold off on seizing property owned by Knorr, her husband or companies linked to her family.
These various companies owed the county about $140,000 in property taxes, according to the complaint.
Cavanaugh alleges Cook told him that Sheriff Mark Lamb would cancel the seizure in exchange for a campaign donation.
Lamb later said he received a con
tribution from the “father of the property owner,” said Cavanaugh, who worked for the sheriff ’s office before leaving to run for Congress.
Lamb confirmed Wednesday to The Arizona Republic that Cook contacted him about a constituent’s tax problems and that he canceled plans to seize the farm’s property. But he said there was nothing inappropriate about the legislator’s concerns. Instead, he said the issue prompted the sheriff to change protocols in his own office for seizing property over back taxes.
“At no time did Rep. Cook ask me to do any favors nor was I offered any campaign contributions in return for not seizing a business and property,” Lamb said in a statement.
Lamb said he even declined a campaign contribution from Knorr’s father, Bas Aja, the week after Cook’s call. He cited Knorr’s tax issues as the reason for rejecting the contribution.
Aja, a prominent lobbyist for the ranching industry, and Knorr did donate a combined total of $450 to the sheriff ’s re-election campaign several months later, in June 2019.
In an email Wednesday, Aja confirmed that he donated to the sheriff ’s campaign in 2019 and said he did not contribute in 2018. But Aja said he never talked to Cook about contributing to Lamb’s campaign. And Aja said he never had any conversations with the sheriff about the tax lien.
The Pinal County Assessor’s Office said several companies linked to the Knorr’s farms still owe about $141,000 in taxes.
But Lamb said the complaint is an attempt by opponents in Pinal County to latch on to an unfolding scandal in state politics during an election year.
The second complaint, filed by a constituent of Cook, charges that the legislator is in a romantic relationship with Knorr and contends this inevitably raises a conflict of interest.
Cook has sponsored legislation supported by Knorr’s client, the Western Growers Association, and has been involved in legislation affecting the agricultural industry.
“A legislator who is in a notoriously compromised relationship with a favorseeking lobbyist has lost the trust of the public and must not be allowed to contaminate the legislative process by favoring legislation in return for personal romantic favors,” Janell Alewyn wrote.
Cook did not respond to a message seeking comment.
Ethics Committee Chairman John Allen, R-Scottsdale, said the investigations are in their early days.
Allen is leading the committee after Rep. T.J. Shope, R-Globe, recused himself from the cases on Tuesday, noting that he and Cook represent the same legislative district.
Allen said he will likely meet Friday with House lawyers to determine whether the chamber needs to hire attorneys from outside the Legislature to investigate the allegations or if it can handle the matter internally. But no meetings are scheduled for the entire Ethics Committee.
“Our goal is to get the facts, not pull for one way or another,” Allen said.
Rep. Diego Rodriguez, D-Phoenix, also recused himself from the committee.
Rodriguez said he joined Cook and other legislators on a recent trip to Mexico. The lawmaker said he recused himself out of an “abundance of caution” given that they had conversations on the trip about news of Cook’s letters to Knorr.
Rep. Domingo DeGrazia, D-Tucson, will fill in for Rodriguez on the committee.