Audio By Carbonatix
Only three people have signed up so far to run for governor, but plenty of people are thinking about it.
One of those people just might be Fife Symington, says a post today by blogger Greg Patterson.
Symington, if you’ll recall, is the Republican ex-governor who was sentenced to two years in prison for fraud while still in office. His conviction was ultimately overturned by a federal appeals court on a technicality, and a pardon by former President Bill Clinton ensured he can’t be tried again on the same charges. Symington made similar noise about running for governor again in 2005.
When news happens, Phoenix New Times is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If New Times matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
It seems the Espresso Pundit heard a rumor recently that Fife was one of the folks interested in running against Brewer because of — you guessed it — her proposed tax increase. So he fired off an e-mail to Symington, asking him if the rumor was true.
The former Guv, now a chef, sent back a nebulous reply that seemed to slouch toward a “yes.”
Supporters of the former governor love to talk about how he was railroaded out of office, kind of like Ev Mecham, but the fact remains that the guy was convicted. In wondering whether Symington has a chance in 2010, it’s probably hard to underestimate the public’s loss of trust in the man.
This is probably just another case of a has-been looking for attention.
