Bronson Pima County Campaign Violations Were Extensive

Pima County supervisors Sharon Bronson and Richard Elias appearing to engage the public [Photo courtesy Pima County Crack Communications Crew]

When Frances (Francie) Merryman received an email from Tucson car dealer Jim Click inviting her to a fundraiser for Pima County Board of Supervisors candidate Kim DeMarco, she forwarded it to County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry and Supervisor Sharon Bronson. Merryman, Vice President and Senior Wealth Strategist at The Northern Trust Company, was looking for “fodder.”

DeMarco was challenging Bronson in the high-priced high-stakes race for her District 3 seat. Heavy hitters like Merryman, Click, Bill Assenmacher, and Don Diamond were putting wads of cash into the what would be one of the most expensive Pima County races in history.

Bronson, who has served as a public official for decades, should know that Arizona law prohibits the use of government resources for political campaigns. Yet, as she had done in communications with her campaign manager, Shasta McManus, Bronson did not advised Merryman to stop sending emails to her government account. In fact, she sends the email to her government account:


Merryman, a member of the Sun Corridor Board of Directors (formerly known as TREO), did in fact show up at the fundraising event. Her behavior towards DeMarco was described as hostile.

“Sadly, the people of Pima County continue to lose. The 2016 General Election was a time of sadness, not for me, but for the people of Pima County. The emails that have been retrieved thru a records request show that Sharon Bronson and Chuck Huckelberry continue to act in an illegal, and criminal manner. Their disregard for the people they serve is beyond appalling and nothing new. Huckelberry gets a raise; yet there is no money for the roads, ect. They accuse others of what they themselves are guilty of, and only look out for themselves, and their wealthy supporters,” stated DeMarco. “During the campaign, I met so many amazing people, who are just barely getting by, and we know now that their tax dollars were being used against them. Supervisor Bronson pays lip service to equity, but her emails show that she has no understanding of the concept, and complete disregard for her constituents.”

Albert Lannon, a member of the Avra Valley Coalition opposing Huckelberry’s Interstate 11 route through the Avra Valley, said of the emails, “Supervisor Bronson told us at a candidate’s forum in Picture Rocks that she and the Supervisors opposed an I-11 route through the Avra Valley. She cited their resolution 2007-343 opposing any bypass in Pima County. The emails show that she was not telling us the truth and that she was critical of Kim DeMarco for supporting us in opposing that highway. If Bronson had been honest with us the election outcome might have been different.”

Related articles:

Pima County Supervisor Bronson Commits Viral Campaign Finance Violation

Bronson Doublespeaks In Picture Rocks

Bronson Illegally Used Pima County Staff, Resources In Re-Election Bid

Arizona Revised Statute 11-410 prohibits the use of county resources for political purposes. Specifically, Arizona Revised Statute 11-410 reads in part:

Use of county resources or employees to influence elections; prohibition; civil penalty; definitions reads in part: A. A county shall not spend or use its resources, including the use or expenditure of monies, accounts, credit, facilities, vehicles, postage, telecommunications, computer hardware and software, web pages, personnel, equipment, materials, buildings or any other thing of value, for the purpose of influencing the outcomes of elections. Notwithstanding this section, a county may distribute informational pamphlets on a proposed bond election as provided in section 35-454 if those informational pamphlets present factual information in a neutral manner. Nothing in this section precludes a county from reporting on official actions of the county board of supervisors.

H. For the purposes of this section:

2. “Influencing the outcomes of elections” means supporting or opposing a candidate for nomination or election to public office or the recall of a public officer or supporting or opposing a ballot measure, question or proposition, including any bond, budget or override election and supporting or opposing the circulation of a petition for the recall of a public officer or a petition for a ballot measure, question or proposition in any manner that is not impartial or neutral.

3. “Misused funds” means county monies or resources used unlawfully as proscribed by this section.

In the case of the violation with McManus, Bronson forwarded materials to campaign contributors. Another campaign contributor, Mr. Clarence Klinefelter also benefitted from County resources, when Communications Director Mark Evans was instructed to write a letter to the editor, which included a passage in support of Bronson.

Throughout the 2016 election cycle, Huckelberry, Evans, Bronson and others also used County resources to attack Supervisor Ally Miller.

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