Arizona Lawmaker Fired for Abusing Taxpayer Money Is Now Trying to Help Corrupt Law Enforcement Officers

For Immediate Release

Contact: Emily Kirkland, emily@progressnowarizona.org

Phoenix– The Phoenix New Times is reporting today that Republican Legislator Anthony Kern was fired from the El Mirage Police Department after he lied to benefit himself at the expense of Arizona taxpayers–a blatant abuse of public trust from someone who claims to care about taxpayer money.

LD20 Representative Anthony Kern was caught lying to the El Mirage Police Department about paying back the city for equipment he lost as a government employee.  Kern also lied on his personal financial disclosures about still being a police officer long after he was fired. Adding to this, Kern also personally lobbied the Mayor of El Mirage to give himself a big fat pay increase. 

Because of this, Kern was placed on a list of Maricopa County law enforcement officials with a history of dishonesty or misconduct. The Phoenix New Times reports that Kern, with the help of fellow Republican lawmaker John Kavanaugh, is now working on a bill that would remove officers like him from that list, obstructing the public’s right to know about corrupt cops. “Anthony Kern is everything that’s wrong with politicians these days—he told constituents he was a police officer when he wasn’t, abused taxpayer money for his own benefit and is a phony to his core,” said Josselyn Berry, Co-Director at ProgressNow Arizona.