Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The Arizona Family Project: A study in irony and self-dealing

The Arizona Family Project, a low-profile conservative/anti-choice organization started by Republican consultant Constantin Querard in 2003, apparently for the purpose of saying nice things about the candidates who hired him, has given out annual Friend of the Family Awards to the legislators it feels are the most pro-family (hint:  Democrats need not sit around, waiting for the phone call notifying them of the award.  It just ain't coming.)

At first, I was going to write about how it would have been easier to list the legislative Republicans who didn't win the award - only eight out of 61 were snubbed.

Then I noticed two of the names on the list of "winners."

One was Sen. Scott Bundgaard (R-LD4).

The same Scott Bundgaard who used legislative immunity in late February to avoid arrest for assaulting his girlfriend by the side of a freeway in Phoenix.

Ummmm, I have to ask - since when is domestic violence a conservative family value, officially anyway?

The other interesting name?

Rep. Jeff Dial (R-LD20).

Why would anyone find the fact that Dial's name is on the list sent out by The Arizona Family Project to be interesting?  After all, he maintained a fairly low profile during what was his freshman year in the lege (something that most freshmen are wont to do), so what's the big deal?

Well, according to records found on the website of the Arizona Secretary of State, Constantin Querard is no longer the chairman of The Arizona Family Project.

Dial is, and has been since 2005.

Well, I guess Dial giving an award to Dial helps his organization in at least one way - it saves on postage.

And based on the organization's IRS form 990 filed last October, they need to pinch every penny. 

They have a financial profile that may actually be lower than the group's all-but-nonexistent public profile - they reported $115 in net assets at the end of their last fiscal year.

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