In an MSNBC/East Valley Tribune article, powerful and well-liked former bar president Ernie Calderon says the State Bar has retaliated against him for speaking out against the Bar’s serious ethical misconduct in targeting County Attorney Thomas.
A prominent Valley attorney says he is facing retaliation by the State Bar of Arizona for speaking out against the organization’s wide-ranging ethics probe of Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas. Ernest Calderon learned on Friday the State Bar plans to remove him from a position he has held since 2004 representing the organization on the national stage. The reason? “Because I said something positive about Andy Thomas,” Calderon said. A Democrat, Calderon said he “never voted for Andy Thomas and I don’t agree with his immigration policy.”
In one probe after another, Calderon determined none against Thomas were legitimate. Calderon felt qualified to make that call because he previously worked for the State Bar reviewing hundreds of similar investigations. Calderon served as the organization’s president from 2002 to 2003, sat on the governing board for seven years and has served on many Bar committees. Beyond that, Calderon is a member of the Arizona Board of Regents, appointed by Gov. Janet Napolitano in 2004, and the governor’s P-20 Council on education. He is a past or current board member of dozens of state and local organizations.
Read the rest of the article.
Read the entire story about the bar investigation.