This morning, attorney Dennis Wilenchik sent a letter on behalf of Representative David Cook to members of the House Ethics Committee, responding to their “investigative report” concerning Rep. Cook. A copy of the letter (with minor typographical changes) can be viewed here.
Mr. Wilenchik calls their report “little more than an unobjective hitpiece” that is “far outside the intended reach of a legislative ethics committee,” and says that he looks “forward to airing the facts, and real issues and evidence.” “There is not one shred of actual evidence that the People’s work was in any way affected by the complicated relationship involved here, which was NOT an ‘affair’ (sexual or otherwise).” “This is election year politics,” and “if it becomes the committee’s business to peruse through all of your personal emails or letters to draw conclusions on a variety of subjects, the people’s business would come to a halt.” “We have all seen nationally the harm and devastation these kinds of baseless allegations can cause and we must all finally take a stand to stop this unless it directly impacts the work of a politician. Here, that basic standard cannot be met, and was not met, by the unfair opinion of a few lawyers. Were this the standard, we would not have courthouses or trials at all. This is not Salem, Massachusetts in the 1600’s.”
Dennis Wilenchik blasts report as “More nonsense, irrelevance, diversion and truly sad waste of money.”: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/legislature/2020/06/29/patrick-bray-witness-david-cook-investigation-says-lawmaker-sent-threat/3282453001/
Here are additional related articles:
Arizona Daily Independent: https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2020/06/23/rep-david-cook-due-process-score-win-in-arizona-house/
Arizona Capitol Times: https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2020/06/22/ethics-committee-chairman-weighs-holding-hearing-for-lawmaker/
Arizona Republic: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2020/06/12/arizona-house-committee-releases-report-complaints-against-david-cook/3175374001/
Arizona Daily Independent: https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2020/06/13/cook-up-a-political-hit-job-sundays-comic/
Arizona Capitol Times: https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2020/06/12/cook-lawyer-accuses-ethics-committee-of-issuing-hit-piece/