Scott Bundgaard - Controversies

Controversies

On the evening of February 25, 2011 police responded to a call regarding a man, later identified as Bundgaard, pulling a woman out of a car in Phoenix Arizona. Both Bundgaard and his girlfriend showed marks of a physical altercation. Both were taken into custody but only his girlfriend was arrested because Bundgaard stated he had legislative immunity from arrest while legislature is in session. Members of the legislature are not allowed to be arrested except for treason, felony, and breaches of the peace, and they shall not be subject to any civil process during the session of the legislature, nor for fifteen days next before the commencement of each session. On June 10, 2011 he was served with a summons and complaint for assault (ARS 13-1203A), endangerment (ARS 13-1201A), and domestic violence (ARS 13-3601A).

At Senator Bundgaard's Initial Appearance in Phoenix City Court, the prosecution asked his attorney if they would agree to meet and discuss a possible plea bargain. On August 16, 2011, after lengthy negotiations between both the Senator's attorneys and prosecutors, he pled no contest and agreed to participate in domestic violence classes for six months. He was ordered to pay his victim $1,336.99 in criminal restitution. A "no contest" plea is treated by the courts like a guilty plea.

He was the prime sponsor of SB 1412 in 2000, a controversial alternative fuels program that cost the Arizona taxpayers over $100 million. As a legislator he tried to take advantage of the program by buying five vehicles at government expense.

In 1999 he was investigated for improper interference with local authorities on behalf of an industrial environmental polluter.

He was fined $3,500 by the Federal Elections Commission for improper campaign finance reporting during the 2002 congressional campaign.

Scott Bundgaard has a long history of civil and criminal litigation. In the 1986 he was convicted of burglary. After he had served his sentence his felony conviction was "expunged." In 2003 he was sued by a client for mishandling funds and subsequently surrendered his securities license.

In 2006 he was married in a covenant marriage but his wife had to call the police during the honeymoon. She had the union annulled shortly thereafter citing threats and domestic violence as reasons.

In September 2011 Mr. Bundgaard filed ethics complaints against members of the Senate Ethics Committee who had voted to investigate him for ethics violations. Interim committee members were appointed and the charges against the original committee members were investigated and dismissed. Shortly thereafter Mr. Bundgaard's attorney's withdrew from his case having not received payment for any billings since Mr. Bundgaard first engaged them. His legal bill for his criminal case is believed to be nearly one hundred thousand dollars.

In December 2012 Bundgaard filed a $10,000,000 law suit against the City of Phoenix alleging that three police officers, the mayor of Phoenix, the chief of police, five civilian witnesses and the victim of his domestic violence attack conspired to defame his character.