The “Clean Elections” system is on life support pending the Supreme Court’s likely post-election ruling that it’s matching funds component is unconstitutional.

The system has always been filled with abuse, and has obviously shown a disposition for targeting Republican candidates and ignoring infractions by Democrats.  Here appears to be just one more example.

Chapter 7 of the Clean Elections Candidate Guide prohibits funds being used

“For real or personal property that is owned or leased by the candidate or a member of the candidate’s family and used for campaign purposes, to the extent the payments exceed the fair market value of the property usage.”

In his 2008 failed bid for the legislature, Jimmie Munoz, Jr. paid $3,750.00 in cash to MountainTel Communications for rent in the months of June, July, and August.  The payment is dated 08/01/2008.

First and foremost, Clean Elections rules prohibit candidates going into debt.  If Munoz incurred rental costs in June and July, but did not pay for them until August, it is an open and shut violation of the law, looking only at his campaign finance report.

And who owns MountainTel Communications, Jimmie Munoz’s benevolent landlord who waited until August 1st to accept payment of rent?

According to the Arizona Corporation Commission, MountainTel Communications is 100% owned by Jimmie Munoz, Jr. Interestingly enough, it was incorporated September 16, 2008, over a month after Munoz paid himself taxpayer money for “rent.” Munoz is the only corporate officer of MountainTel.

Munoz has clearly violated the law by going into debt as a Clean Elections candidate.  The next question is whether he violated the law against reimbursing himself above the fair market value of the property.

According to Zillow.com, 6645 S. Central Avenue in Phoenix is a single family home in South Mountain, built in 1956.  It is valued at $108,000, with an estimated monthly payment of $446 for the entire property.

Therefore, $1,250 per month for rent is far and away above fair market value for rent at that location, even if every inch of the property was utilized by Munoz’s campaign, which is very unlikely.

Unless I missed something, Munoz has pocketed taxpayer money in violation of the law.

Munoz appears to know what he was doing was illegal.  Why else funnel the taxpayer money through a shell corporation owned solely by him that was not even incorporated for almost two months after the payment?

We invite Todd Lang and the “Clean” Elections gang to fully investigate Jimmie Munoz Jr.’s violations of the law by going into debt and laundering taxpayer money for dramatically inflated rent through his shell corporation, even if he is a Democrat.

UPDATE:  One insightful commentator has asked whether Munoz paid Federal income taxes on money obtained from the rent he paid himself.