Collections Appointment Under the Political Microscope

Arizona's attorney general has quietly rehired his former spokeswoman to lead the state's Collections Enforcement Unit, a move that could lead to political fallout.

Amy Rezzonico will lead Attorney General Tom Horne's collections unit. A month ago, her husband testified on Horne's behalf in a campaign-finance case against the state's top prosecutor, according to The Arizona Republic.

The position filled by Rezzonico was not advertised and the preferred experience listed with the job includes supervisory experience working in debt collections, a finance degree, business management or economics, an MBA or eight years of applicable work experience. Rezzonico has a degree in communications and political science.

Rezzonico resigned as Horne's spokeswoman in early 2013. She cited various controversies involving the agency for leaving, including ongoing accusations that Horne, a Republican, violated campaign-finance laws. After resigning, Rezzonico went to work for a political consulting firm after resigning. Horne’s office hired that firm to do work while Rezzonico was employed there. Calls seeking comment from Horne's office and Rezzonico were not immediately returned.

Rezzonico's husband, in recent court hearings into the campaign-finance allegations, provided important testimony that could help Horne's assertions that he did not illegally coordinate with a subordinate, who ran an independent-expenditure committee during the 2010 elections, to create TV ads attacking his Democratic opponent. An FBI investigation and two county attorneys previously concluded that communication records indicate Horne and the subordinate discussed the content of the ads. Horne testified they were talking about a real-estate deal.

Horne is up for re-election in November. He is facing a challenge in the Republican primary and reportedly could then face a strong Democrat in the general election.Attorney Felecia Rotellini previously lost to Horne in 2010 and has been critical of Horne hiring "friends and political cronies" for his own political gain.

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