Arizona's Democratic candidate for governor Fred DuVal launched a new campaign today announcing the Republicans in Arizona who support his campaign, but one of the "reasonable Republicans" listed was nearly prosecuted for offering kickbacks to the Teamster union in exchange for help with a land deal that would have landed him $3 million.
The DuVal campaign took out a full page ad in the Arizona Republic to list the Republicans that support him because he "will put Arizona first."
The campaign was clearly not very selective about who they got endorsements from if they decided to put former state senator Leo Corbet on the list.
Undercover cops videotaped Corbet offering kickbacks to Teamsters union officials in exchange for financing on a land deal worth $18 million that would have personally netted Corbet $3 million, according to a 1990 article by the Associated Press.
The investigators recommended that Corbet be brought up on charges of conspiracy and commercial bribery, but state prosecutors rejected the recommendations.
"If those policemen thought they could get me, I wouldn't be sitting here today," said Corbet at the time.
The undercover operation was part of a nine-month operation that resulted in the arrest of 10 people, none of whom were Corbet.
Corbet was the one who approached the undercover agents that were "posing as illegitimate businessmen willing to engage in frauds, bribery or money laundering."
Corbet did not deny that the conversations took place.
"No question that the temptation was there," said Corbet. "If I was guilty of anything, it was temporary stupidity."
Corbet himself lost an attempt at Arizona's governorship in 1982.