Bowl is not a fiesta for employees
ARIZONA REPUBLIC: EMPLOYEES SAY FIESTA BOWL
ILLEGALLY REIMBURSED POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS
For Immediate Release
Friday, December 18, 2009
Contact: Press@PlayoffPAC.com
The Arizona Republic reported today: “Past and present Fiesta Bowl employees have told The Arizona Republic they were encouraged to write checks to specific candidates and were reimbursed by the bowl. Such reimbursement would violate state and federal laws that prohibit funneling corporate campaign contributions through individuals. Participants could be charged with misdemeanors and felonies.”
Playoff PAC co-founder Matthew Martinez said: “BCS officials can’t credibly claim that leaders in Congress have no business examining the status quo’s off-the-field harms when the tax-exempt Fiesta Bowl is blowing $4 million on boondoggles and, according to multiple employees, illegally reimbursing political contributions. The need for transparency and reform in college football has never been more apparent.”
Over the past decade as the Fiesta Bowl worked to maintain its elite position as one of the top postseason college-football games, employees made contributions to politicians friendly to the bowl, including some donations that may violate campaign-finance laws.
Past and present Fiesta Bowl employees have told The Arizona Republic they were encouraged to write checks to specific candidates and were reimbursed by the bowl.
Such reimbursement would violate state and federal laws that prohibit funneling corporate campaign contributions through individuals. Participants could be charged with misdemeanors and felonies.
“If employees are giving contributions and they were being reimbursed, it’s illegal, and it’s something we definitely would review,” said Amy Bjelland, state elections director.
