Tovar Blasts Fellow Arizona Corporation Commissioners After Censure Vote

ACC
Arizona Corporation Commission

In a 3-0 vote, the Arizona Corporation Commission this week, approved a motion to censure Commissioner Anna Tovar for alleged violations pertaining to state law regarding Executive Session Confidentiality and Confidentiality of Employment Information.

In addition, Commissioner Tovar was censured for allegedly harassing an ACC employee and violating the Code of Conduct.

Commissioner Tovar was not in attendance and Commissioner Marquez-Peterson was excused due to an unexpected personal emergency.

The Commission argues that Tovar should be held accountable for allegedly violating state law pertaining to confidentiality, and for violating the ACC Code of Ethics through her conduct.  The Commission found that Tovar knowingly disclosed confidential personnel information in a November 15, 2024 letter and a November 22, 2024 letter published on Tovar’s website and publicly posted on the Commission docket.  In the letter, Tovar expressed her disagreement concerning the approval of a bonus for the Commission’s Executive Director, some of the details in the letter were discussed during an Executive Session on November 6, 2024.

“I am disheartened and sincerely disappointed that the Commission had to formally censure Commissioner Tovar,” said Commission Chairman Jim O’Connor.

The Commission says that it “has established procedures to address ethics complaints and ensure transparency and accountability.  The Office of General Counsel is tasked with handling investigations into ethics complaints.  The ACC’s Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct provides a clear expectation of the conduct of Commissioners.  It states that as members of a public body, the Commissioners should respect and comply with the law and should conduct themselves at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the Commission.  Commissioners are held to the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct, and proven violations are treated as a serious infringement of moral duties and obligations.”

For her part, Tovar blasted her fellow Commissioners on X.com tweeting, “Today’s vote to censure me by other members of the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) proves that they are scared of criticism and unwilling to engage in any kind of conversation with which they disagree. Setting aside the fact that the charges are baseless, accountability and transparency are among the most important duties of the Arizona Corporation Commission, as we are charged with getting the best possible deal for Arizonans on their monthly utility bills, while still ensuring they have a reliable and sustainable grid—now and in the future.”

“If we do not hold ourselves to the standards of transparency and legality that we are charged with enforcing, then I think it’s fair to ask the question: What is the Arizona Corporation Commission actually working toward? It certainly is not an affordable utility bill for for Arizonans, as rate hike after rate hike gets approved,” continued Tovar. “This censure vote is a sham and must serve as a red alert to the people of Arizona that their Corporation Commission, whose salaries their hard-earned tax dollars are paying, has now become a place run by special interests and dominated by the extreme partisanship that we all hate about politics today. I’ve said it many times before, but I’ll say it again: The ACC needs a change in leadership.”

The matter will also be referred to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for review.

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