Arizona House ethics panel to review complaint against speeding legislator

PHOENIX – The Arizona House Ethics Committee will review a complaint filed against a legislator whose freeway speeding and subsequent bragging of faster driving drew national attention.

The panel received a copy Thursday of a complaint about Rep. Paul Mosley (R-Lake Havasu City), citing misuse of legislative immunity.

Mosley was clocked going 97 miles an hour on State Route 95 near Parker in March and has been warned numerous times for other moving violations.

Body-camera video obtained by KLPZ showed Mosley telling a La Paz County deputy that he sometimes drove as fast as 140 mph and had been going 120 mph before he was pulled over.

The deputy wrote in his report that Mosley told him he had immunity because he was a legislator.

The video was posted July 11. Mosley apologized on Facebook after the video came out, describing his comments as inappropriate and “showed extremely” bad judgment.

On July 20, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed an executive order clarifying legislative immunity.

Ducey said in statement, “No one is above the law, and certainly not politicians.

“This executive order will provide Arizona’s officers with the support and trust they need to exercise their professional judgment and expertise without regard for an individual’s political stature.”

Mosley said this week at a candidate forum that he would sponsor a bill that wiped out legislative immunity.

Fellow House Republican Mark Finchem of Tucson filed the complaint July 12.

House Rules attorney Timothy Fleming sent a letter to the committee, “at the request” of panel Chairman Eddie Farnsworth (R-Gilbert).

The letter said a copy had also been sent to Mosley, along with a duplicate of the complaint itself.

A memo of Finchem’s complaint asked the committee to take appropriate action and that Mosley can respond to the complaint in writing and offer a defense at any hearing.

Mosley’s story was picked up national media, including Newsweek, the San Francisco Chronicle and political website The Hill.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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