WASHINGTON, DC -- 10/28/09 --
Judicial Watch, the public interest group
that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today
that it filed a taxpayer lawsuit against the Phoenix Police Pension Board,
its five members, and City of Phoenix Chief of Police Jack F. Harris to
stop the illegal payment of pension benefits to Chief Harris valued at
approximately $90,000 per year. Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit on October
28 with the Superior Court for the State of Arizona on behalf of taxpayers
and residents of the City of Phoenix, including a number of active and
retired members of the Phoenix Police Department.
According to Arizona law, if a retired member of the Public Safety
Personnel Retirement System "subsequently becomes employed in the same
position by the employer from which the member retired, the system shall
not make pension payments to the retired member during the period of
reemployment."
According to Judicial Watch's lawsuit, Chief Harris retired from the City
of Phoenix Police Department "on or about January 19, 2007," and was
subsequently rehired as "Public Safety Manager." However, Chief Harris
continues to head the Phoenix Police Department. He not only uses the title
of "Chief of Police," but he also wears the same uniform and has the same
office at Police Headquarters as he did before his "retirement." Chief
Harris is listed as "Public Safety Manager/Police Chief Jack Harris" on the
Phoenix Police Department's organizational chart. Nonetheless, Chief Harris
continues to take pension payments, contrary to the requirements of the
law.
Judicial Watch previously requested in a letter dated August 27, 2009 that
Arizona Attorney General Goddard take action to enjoin the payment of the
illegal pension benefits to Chief Harris. However, Attorney General Goddard
refused to take action, according to a September 26th letter from the
Attorney General's Division Chief Counsel Donald Conrad. Arizona law
empowers a taxpayer to institute an action if the taxpayer makes a written
request to the Attorney General to institute such an action and the
Attorney General fails to do so within sixty (60) days. As the sixty day
period has passed without any action by the Attorney General, Judicial
Watch is filing this Arizona taxpayer lawsuit to end "illegal payment of
pension benefits to Chief Harris."
"Police Chief Harris' alleged double dipping is of deep concern to Arizona
taxpayers who are outraged by this apparent waste of taxpayer funds. And
certainly our tax-paying Phoenix law enforcement clients want to protect
their pension fund. In the absence of leadership from Attorney General
Goddard, Judicial Watch is happy to represent Phoenix taxpayers as they
seek to enforce the rule of law against Chief Harris and the Phoenix Police
Pension Board," stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
For more information on Judicial Watch's campaign against government
corruption, and to read Judicial Watch's lawsuit against the Phoenix Police
Pension Board, visit www.JudicialWatch.org.
Contact:
Jill Farrell
202-646-5188
