181
PreliminaryStatement
2MichaelC.Manning,CraigA.Morgan,SharonW.Ng,andDanelleG.Kellingof3StinsonMorrisonHecker
LLP
havebeenretainedtoserveasSpecialCounselfortheHouse4ofRepresentativesEthicsCommitteetoconductanindependentinvestigationregarding5Representative("Rep.")DanielPatterson("Patterson").Thescopeofthisinvestigationis6notlimitedtothedomesticviolenceallegationsmadeintheFebruary27,2012,Ethics7Complaint(the"EthicsComplaint")filedagainstRep.Patterson.'
See
Exhibit1(Ethics8Complaint).Thescopeofthisinvestigation,asdefinedbytheHouseEthicsCommittee,is9muchbroader.Specifically,wehavebeenaskedto(i)investigateandreportwhetherRep.10Pattersonhasengagedinapatternofinappropriate,indecorous,illegal,orunethicalconduct11inviolationoflawortheHouseRules,and(ii)recommendacourseofdisciplinary
action.'
12Ourinvestigationwaslimitedtoacompressedtimeframe-approximatelytwo13weeks-andconsistedof
(i)
reviewingtheEthicsComplaintandRep.Patterson'smultiple
14
responses;(ii)reviewingpublicrecords;(iii)interviewswithanumberoflegislators,staff15members,lobbyists,andmembersofthepublicwhohavepersonallyinteractedwith
16
Rep.Pattersonorwitnessedhisbehavior;'and(iv)aoneandaquarterhourinterviewwith17Rep.Patterson."WedevotedsignificantFirmresourcestothisinvestigation,including
ButevenifthescopeofthisinvestigationwerelimitedtothefourcornersoftheEthicsComplaint,thatscopeis
19
quitebroad.Specifically,theEthicsComplaintaccusesRep.Pattersonof"conductimpugningtheintegrityoftheHouse
0
Representatives"ofwhichtheEthicsComplaint'sallegationsofa"patternofdomesticviolence,""physicalinjury,""mentalanguish,"generally"inappropriateconduct,"and"conductviolatingthepublictrustoradverselyreflectingupontheHouse,andunethicalorunprofessionalconduct"arebutexamples.
See
Exhibit1(EthicsComplaint).Thisinvestigationhasneverbeenjustaboutdomesticviolence.
See
ht1p:llazleg.granicus.comlMediaPlayer.php?viewid=13&clipid=10590whichisalinktoaHouseEthicsCommitteehearingheldonMarch13,2012(50thLegislature,2ndRegularSession)whereinthescopeofthisinvestigationwasdefined.Duringourinvestigation,manywitnesseswereafraidtofreelyspeakwithusduetoconcernsoverpossiblephysical,verbal,orotherretaliationbyRep.Patterson.AnumberofMembers,lobbyists,andlegislativestaffinparticularexpressedsuchconcern.EvensomeofthosewhowerebraveenoughtosignDeclarationsinconnectionwiththisinvestigationexpressedconcernsaboutlaterassaultbyRep.Pattersonfortheircooperation.Accordingly,andonlywhennecessary,weaccededtoanonymity.
4
Rep.PattersonhasfoundplentyoftimetospeaktothepressaboutthisinvestigationandtoinsisttohisfellowHouseMembersthattheEthicsComplaintandthisinvestigationshouldbeabandonedBut,hehasnotmadeanyrealeffort
2
202122
23
24
25
26
1
Thewitnessesweinterviewedagreedwiththatrebuttablepresumption.Over80%ofassigningadedicatedteamoflawyersandotherprofessionals,inanefforttoconductthe2mostcomprehensiveinvestigationpossibleundersuchashorttimeframe.3Thegravityofthisassignment,anditspotentialhistoricalimpact,wereimmediately
4
evidenttous.Somelevelofpassion,indecorum,aggressiveness,persuasion,andoccasional
5
lossofprofessionalismandtruthfulnessisapredictablefacetoftheroughandtumbleofpoliticsandpublicserviceintheconstantspotlight.Weassumedthisassignmentawarethatlifeinalegislativesessionisnotalways-perhapsnotevenfrequently-polite,professional,dispassionate,orfreeofadversarialsleightofhand.Wealsoassumedthisassigmnentwithakeendeferencetoconstituents'righttomakeanill-advised,orevendeplorable,choiceofthe
6
78
9
10menandwomenthoseconstituentswanttorepresenttheminlegislativeorexecutiveoffices.
11
Thoseconstituentchoicesshouldnotbedisruptedexceptinthemostegregiousof12circumstances.Thus,ourinvestigationwasgovernedbyarebuttablepresumptionthatthe
13
people'schoice,evenaverybadone,isnearlyinviolable.1415theMembers,legislativestaff,lobbyists,andothersweinterviewedbelievethatRep.
16
PattersonisaseriousdiscreditandthreattotheHouse,itsMembers,thelegislativeprocess,
17
todiscusstheinvestigationwiththisFirmatamutuallyconvenienttime.Infact,Rep.Pattersonhasnotbeeneagertocooperatewiththisinvestigationonanyone'stermsotherthanhisown.Whetherthroughdesperatedenialoradisturbingrefusaltoacknowledgereality,Rep.PattersoninsistsonignoringthescopeofthisinvestigationandtheHouse'slawfulabilitytodisciplinehim,insteadattemptingtounilaterallynarrowthescopeofthisinvestigation.
See
Exhibit2(E-mailcorrespondencebetweenRep.PattersonandMichaelC.Manning).HisMarch28,2012,SupplementalResponsetotheEthicsCommitteeengagesthesamedelusion.
See
Exhibit3(Rep.Patterson'sSupplementalResponsedatedMarch28,2012).Ofcourse,werepeatedlyexplainedtoRep.Pattersonthescopeofthisinvestigation.
See
Exhibit2.Yet,evenasrecentlyasMarch27,2012,Rep.PattersonwasquotedinthepressasclaimingnounderstandingofthescopeofthisinvestigationandrefusingtoacknowledgetheHouse'sconstitutionalauthoritytodisciplineitsMembers-includinghim.
See
Exhibit4
(TheRepublic
on-lineeditorialdatedMarch27,2012)(quotingRep.Pattersonasstating:'''Iamdulyelectedandlawfullyseatedso,Laurie,it'snotuptoyoutodecidewhetherit'sappropriateformetositintheLegislatureornot,'hesaid.'Nodisrespect,it'snotuptoyou,it'snotuptoKatieHobbs,it'snotuptoanybodyintheLegislature.It'suptomyvoters."');Exhibit5
(YumaSun
on-linearticledatedMarch26,2010)(quotingRep.Pattersonasstating:'''It'sextremelyfrustratingtogettheEthicsCommitteetodefmewhatthey'redoing,'hesaid.'Ourfeelingisit'smorelikeafishingexpedition."');
seealso
Exhibit6(Rep.Patterson'sTweetdatedMarch22,2012("SeemsVogt
&
hisinvestigatorManningon'fishingexpedition'wlittlerespectforconstitution,dueprocess,rules,scope,etc.").Unfortunately,wecouldneitherforceRep.Pattersontounderstandthegravityofthisinvestigationnorpersuadehimtomeaningfullycooperatewithoureffortstofindandpresentthefacts.
3
1819
20
2122232425
26
13
4
1hisparty,andhisconstituents.Allbutafewofthe20%balanceotherwisefeelthatRep.2Pattersonisunfitforoffice.Butmanyinthatminorityofwitnessesbelievethathowever3unfit,unstable,ordangeroushemaybe,Rep.Pattersonwaselectedtohispositionandthat
4
constituentdecisionisperfectlysacrosanctunlessRep.Pattersonisactuallyconvictedof5criminalmisbehavior.Thatwell-intentionedminoritywasnotaskedtobalancetheethereal
6
protectionofRep.Patterson'sDistrict'sdecisionwiththeveryrealburdenRep.Patterson
7
placesonthelegislativeinterestsofeveryotherlegislativedistrict.Nevertheless,our8ConstitutionandyourHouseRulesarefarlesstolerantofegregiousmisconductthatisnot
9
necessarilycriminalthanthatminorityviewandthoseprinciplesguidedourinvestigation.10
SummaryOfConclusionsAndRecommendations
11Basedonourinvestigation,asmorefullydetailedbelow,wehavereachedthe12followingconclusions:
14
•Thedeepdistrust,concernfor,andfearofRep.Pattersonisbipartisan,bicameral,otherwisebroad,andisborneofwidelyexperiencedincidentsofdisruption,deceptions,indecorum,andthreatsthataretoofrequentandtooegregious.1516•Rep.PattersonhasalegacyofviolatingandignoringboththeRulesoftheHouseofRepresentatives,50thLegislature,2011-2012(the"HouseRules")andgenerallyacceptedconceptsofcivilityand
professionalism.i
7
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•Rep.Pattersonroutinelyverballyabuses,assaults,andharasseshiscolleagues,legislativestaff,andlobbyists-especiallyifonedarestodisagreewithhim.
9
20•Rep.Pattersonroutinelychallengesbutthenignoresadmonishmentforhisbehaviorandunprofessionaloutbursts,oftenretaliatingthroughverbalabuseand,onoccasion,haseitherfeignedoractuallythreatenedtophysicallyassaultthosethatdidnotagreewithhim.2122
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•Rep.Pattersonhasallegedlyviolated,andmayevencontinuetoviolate,courtorders.2425
5
WehavenotinvestigatedwhetherRep.Pattersonhasviolated
any
criminal
laws.OurfmdingsandconclusionswouldbethesamewhetherRep.Pattersonhasviolated
any
criminallaws.
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Patterson ethics report
House Ethics Committee investigators recommended that state Rep. Daniel Patterson be expelled from the Legislature.
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