Arizona Senator Rich Crandall has been forced out of office after it was discovered that he lied about his lack of health insurance and had no intention of serving his Arizona constituents. Crandall refused to resign his Arizona seat claiming that he would not have insurance in his new position as director of the Wyoming Department of Education immediately and had to maintain coverage in Arizona for his daughters.
Crandall has held the two public offices in two different states simultaneously since August 1st.
Arizona Secretary of State, Ken Bennett notified officials that Crandall’s Legislative 16 seat was open and as per Arizona statute the Republican committeemen and women of Legislative District 16 must meet to select three nominees for consideration by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
Biggs notified Bennett in a letter dated August 22, 2013, in which he outlined the reasons for the LD 16 vacancy. Biggs provided Bennett a list of “indicia of his abandonment” including; the fact that he now resides in Cheyenne, an empty Arizona senate office, and Crandall’s admission that he was serving Arizona in name only and had no intention of serving his constituents in Arizona until August 31st.
Biggs notes that while he appreciates Crandall’s “trouble letting go of his office in Arizona, I think it is best if the constituents of Legislative District 16 are able to immediately begin the process of appointing a replacement.”
Biggs argued that Arizona taxpayers should not have to continue to “pay the salary and other costs of a person was no longer qualified to serve as an Arizona State Senator.
Crandall lied to the press and constituents when he told them that he was holding on to his office so he could keep his health insurance coverage for his two daughters. In his letter, Biggs once again confirms that Crandall would have been covered by insurance until August 31, had he resigned in a timely manner and that Crandall knew that to be the case. Further, that information was timely provided to the former Senator and obviates his attempt to claim that he is still qualified to serve as an Arizona State Senator while living in another state and serving as the chief education officer of the state.”
Crandall is out of his Wyoming office until Monday. He is attending the Council of Chief State School Officers conference in Chicago. He will return to his Wyoming office on Monday according staff at the WED. He is unavailable for comment.
The Arizona Republican Party must call a meeting of allLD16 precinct committeepersons within three days of receiving the notice, and the meeting to nominate replacements must be held within 21 days. There are 95 elected precinct committee persons that will vote to pick the 3 candidates to be considered as replacements for Crandall. The people that have self-nominated and have been given an opportunity to speak and answer questions are; Mara Benson, Jerry Clingman, David Farnsworth, Kelly Townsend, and John Fillmore.
Biggs’ letter:
The following is a list of indicia of his abandonment of these Senatorial office:
1.He is the director of the state education Department of Wyoming he’s working directly for the Governor of Wyoming and has been employed since August 5, 2013. In fact, in his new capacity he’s been working in Wyoming or travelling to conferences around the country.
2. He resides in Cheyenne, the state Capitol of Wyoming.
3. He has removed all this personal furnishings from his office at the State Senate building and his office is now empty.
4. The Senator utilized social media sites numerous times over the last month indicating his new position with the state of Wyoming began August 5, 2013 and that he intended to leave Arizona on 16th of August.
5. Senator Crandall contacted me on August 5,2013, and indicated that he would send his letter of resignation that afternoon effective August 16, 2013. On August 20, 2013, he submitted a letter of resignation intending it to be effective on August 31, 2013, but admitted in the letter that the only reason he is attempting to delay his formal departure from the Senate is his desire to maintain Arizona subsidized health insurance until his insurance coverage as Director of Education in Wyoming takes effect. He did not indicate that he wished to complete Senate business or represent his constituents through the end of August.
While I appreciate the former Senator Crandall, now serving as the Director of Education in Wyoming, is having trouble letting go of his office in Arizona, I think it is best of the constituents of Legislative District 16 are able to immediately begin the process of appointing a replacement. The normal procedure is to make this change as soon as possible rather than requiring the State’s taxpayers to continue to pay the salary and other costs of a person who is no longer qualified to serve as an Arizona State Senator.
Additionally, he stated that the only reason for his desire to maintain the title of State Senator is to derive medical insurance for his family. However, I have received notice from the ADOA that, by established policy, his insurance coverage remains in place until midnight on August 31, 2013. Further, that information was timely provided to the former Senator and obviates his attempt to claim that he still qualified to serve as an Arizona State Senator while living in another state and serving as chief education officer of that state.
Further Director Crandall would be best served by immediately severing his nominal relationship to Arizona. His current employer, the Governor Wyoming, would be assured of his full commitment to the Director’s new position even though the Director is an Arizona State Senator in name only.
Finally, the termination of Director Crandall’s position as State Sen. is played out in the media for quite some time. His constituents are entitled to representation by someone living in their legislative district who is committed to Arizona and Legislative District 16. They are entitled by law to begin the process to replace a Senator who is residing in another state.
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