Contact Information: Contact: Judicial Watch 202-646-5188
Judicial Watch Calls on Arizona Attorney General to File Lawsuit to Stop Phoenix Police Chief From Receiving Illegal Pension Benefits
If Attorney General Fails to Act, Judicial Watch Will File a Lawsuit on Behalf of Arizona Taxpayers and Former and Active Duty City of Phoenix Police Officers
| Source: Judicial Watch
WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - August 31, 2009) - Judicial Watch, the public interest group
that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today
that it sent a letter on August 27, 2009 requesting that Arizona Attorney
General Terry Goddard file a lawsuit against the Phoenix Police Pension
Board, its five members, and City of Phoenix Chief of Police Jack F. Harris
to enjoin the illegal payment of pension benefits to Chief Harris.
Judicial Watch informed Attorney General Goddard that if he fails to act on
this request Judicial Watch will file a lawsuit on behalf of Arizona
taxpayers and former and current City of Phoenix police officers to seek
justice in the matter.
As Judicial Watch notes in its letter, Chief Harris retired from the City
of Phoenix Police Department "on or about January 19, 2007," but was
subsequently rehired as "Public Safety Manager." However, Chief Harris
continued to maintain his former title and position as Chief of Police. In
fact, Chief Harris is listed as "Public Safety Manager/Police Chief Jack
Harris" on an organizational chart maintained by the Phoenix Police
Department.
According to Arizona law, if a retired member of the Public Safety
Personnel Retirement System "subsequently becomes employed in the same
position by the employer from which the member retired, the system shall
not make pension payments to the retired member during the period of
reemployment." As Chief Harris continues to take pension payments contrary
to law, Judicial Watch is asking the Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard
to intervene.
Judicial Watch believes that "there is clear legal authority to seek to
enjoin the payment of pension benefits to Chief Harris."
"We expect public officials to follow the rules and we expect the Arizona
Attorney General to enforce the law," said Judicial Watch President Tom
Fitton. "The illegal payment of pension funds to Chief Harris is a waste
of taxpayer funds and Attorney General Goddard should put a stop to it.
Judicial Watch stands ready to act if the Attorney General fails to remedy
the situation."
Visit www.JudicialWatch.org to read Judicial Watch's letter to Arizona
Attorney General Terry Goddard.