Reagan “Doubling Down” With Glassman

Secretary of State Michele Reagan released a statement on Monday in which she claimed she was “doubling down on her commitment to work with the business community,” but to many she showed that she was doubling down her committment to surrounding herself with cronies and politicos when they learned that she had named former failed senatorial candidate Rodney Glassman Co-Chair of her “Secretary’s Technology, Transparency and Commerce Council.”

Reagan claimed in the press release that the Council was “made up of some of the state’s most well-respected business people.”

Glassman earned national attention for his bizarre rendition of Sweet Home Alabama in his failed senatorial run against John McCain.

Glassman now works at the Ryley Carlock & Applewhite law firm in an External Affairs and Government Relations practice. According the the firm’s website, “Rodney’s practice is focused on driving relevancy, enhancing credibility, and developing substantive relationships for his government, corporate, and non-profit clients.”

“I’m delighted and honored to have such an amazing group of industry leaders to help me identify and implement an agenda that will make government more efficient and accountable,” said Secretary Reagan in the press release.  “With their expertise and commitment toward improving the state, I’m confident we’ll take great strides to upgrade our technologies, promote greater transparency and make it even easier to start and run a business.”

According to Reagan, she “tapped” Glassman, who “has advised some of the state’s most trusted leaders including Arizona State University President Michael Crow and philanthropists such as John O. Whiteman.  Rodney has also worked with current and former CEO’s of Arizona’s largest publicly traded companies, including Phil Francis, former CEO of PetSmart, as well as the Professional Firefighters of Arizona and Arizona School Administrators.”