But Stanton – himself a former taxpayer-funded lobbyist – didn’t seem to mind the practice during his nine years on the City Council, when he regularly voted to appoint lobbyists to boards and commissions.
On his Web site, Stanton says: “City boards and commissions should be made up of concerned citizens whose only interest is the wellbeing of our city, rather than private gains and profit.” [Source: greg2011.com]
Interesting, because for nearly a decade, Stanton voted to do exactly what he is now condemning – and then quit his job on the council to take a job as a lobbyist.
In Stanton's last year of office alone, at least 10 registered lobbyists were unanimously appointed by the council to boards and commissions [Source: Formal city council meeting minutes, 2008]. Stanton never raised the issue once.
What’s more, as of the prior reporting period, Stanton has taken more than $100,000 in campaign contributions from registered lobbyists and has several serving as top figures in his campaign.
“Not only was Greg Stanton himself a registered lobbyist, but he’s also clearly a certified hypocrite,” said Gullett spokesman Daniel Scarpinato. “Because of his shaky record and weak positions, Greg Stanton is in desperate need of a sound bite. But his faux outrage on this issue is just the latest example of Greg Stanton’s record not matching his rhetoric.”
Stanton has made this issue the center point of his campaign. Just how a big of a “problem” is this? Currently, there are less than 30 registered city lobbyists on boards and commissions, representing 3 percent of the nearly 800 people volunteering for such positions.
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Paid for by Wes Gullett for Phoenix
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