Prior to his election this year, nearly everyone except his constituents, knew Senator Rich Crandall was not going to stay around the Legislature long. Many believed that the only reason Crandall ran this year was to thwart the conservative Legislature’s agenda and throw a monkey wrench into the Republican Party’s machinery.
On Thursday, he told the Yellow Sheet that his years of pandering to the ASBA (Arizona School Board Association) and the AEA (Arizona Education Association) paid off in a big way and his “dream job has come through – consulting with national education leaders, state groups and some local districts. I’ve had a great experience, but it’s time to move from policy creation to policy implementation.”
Crandall has crafted significant legislation over the years favoring various vendors to public school districts and has opposed many education reform efforts.
Crandall says that he will not officially resign until August because of commitments he has made to the NCS. Crandall told the Yellow Sheet that he is also sticking around to “help the governor get her agenda through.”
During the General Election it was believed that Crandall was moving to Utah to be with his wife, but he claims that he will be staying in Arizona and his wife is returning later this year.
During the General Election Representative Barton filed an ethics complaint against Crandall. Barton alleged that Crandall’s “wild allegations against my character” constitute a “blatant abuse” of his authority and is “a violation of my Personal House Privilege and a violation of the Privilege of the Senate.”
Crandall, who at the time was the Chair of the Senate’s Education Committee, threatened Barton in a recorded telephone message after she reported the tampering of Representative John Filmore’s campaign signs by Crandall’s daughter. Allegedly, Crandall instructed his daughter to replace Fillmore’s signs with his.
Barton’s complaint includes a detailed account of her encounter with Crandall’s daughter at the scene of the sign tampering. It also includes an account of Crandall’s threat. Crandall told Barton that she should never dare to bring a piece of legislation before his Education Committee if she gave evidence against his daughter.
Barton asked the Ethics Committee to “discipline Senator Crandall so that he cannot make good on his threats against my legislation.”
Barton agreed to accept Crandall’s apology after pressure was brought by Republican leadership.
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