Tom Horne: Something reeks

And I'm not talking about his personal hygiene.

From KPNX, written by Joe Dana

She ran Phoenix’s largest special needs clinic. Now she’s criminally indicted.

A high-profile Phoenix business owner who once ran the state’s largest children’s special needs therapy clinic is charged with stealing nearly $3 million in COVID small business relief funds.

A grand jury indicted Bridget O’Brien in August of 2023 on 17 counts of fraud and theft, though 12News just learned of the charges this week. O’Brien has pleaded not guilty and is due for a status conference in court next month.

[snip]

An attorney representing a civil plaintiff accused O’Brien of lying to a judge about having Cancer. Though O’Brien never showed actual medical proof of cancer treatment, a bankruptcy judge who oversaw the case ruled in O’Brien’s favor. In that case, O’Brien’s attorney was former Attorney General Tom Horne. Horne is now the state superintendent. He is also a longtime acquaintance of O’Brien. An email from Horne to 12News states he met O’Brien because her mother worked for him in the Attorney General’s Office.

Horne is still protecting her, though, even though the bankruptcy case seems to be over (confirming that requires a PACER login, and since those cost money, one is not in the blogging budget).

From the story -

 “Authorized ATP Tutoring Providers.” That means the company is eligible to receive more public funds.

12News asked Horne on Thursday whether he believes O’Brien should be disqualified as an authorized vendor, given her history of alleged Medicaid fraud, nonpayment of contractors, dog-napping, and alleged SBA loan fraud.

“Ms. O’Brien is entitled to her day in court,” Horne said in a written statement.

She, and her companies, has been sued multiple times for failure to pay employees and contractors, and, at least once, by a former business partner (Maricopa County Superior Court system case number CV2011-053078)

Yet Horne is insistent about keeping her on the public pad.

From the Arizona Department Education's list of authorized tutoring providers -

Someone named "Bridget O'Brien" has made lucrative donations to Horne in his quests to be Superintendent of Public Instruction and Attorney General.  From a report filed with the AZSOS -

Even though she reports her occupation as "housewife", the PO Box address matches up with the PO Box on one of her corporate entities, Jazi Kat LLC.

Speaking of corporate entities, the entity on ADE's website, Kiids A Therapy, has had 11 statutory agents during its existence.

Not a crime in and of itself, but a definite red flag.

Filed under "Things that make you go 'hmmmm.' "