PHOENIX — The Maricopa County Board will vote Monday on whether to suspend Assessor Paul Petersen, after deciding that under state statute Petersen has neglected his job during the more than two weeks he's been jailed.
After a closed meeting Wednesday, the board revealed one new piece of evidence against Petersen: County auditors say Petersen's work computer is loaded with "a multitude" of documents from his adoption business.
"Those documents related to the adoption work were on the county computer," County Board Chairman Bill Gates told reporters after the closed session.
"Beyond that, I'm not going to draw any other conclusions" about Petersen's adoption work at his county office, Gates said.
While Petersen has ignored calls from fellow Republican Gov. Doug Ducey and the County Board to resign, state law gives the board few options for removing a countywide elected official.
If the board goes ahead with the suspension, Petersen would lose his $77,000-a-year salary and health benefits for up to 120 days.
The board voted unanimously Wednesday to take the vote next week. The five-day lag is required under state law to give Petersen time to respond.
County spokesman Fields Moseley said the board would have to appoint someone to run the assessor's office if Petersen is suspended.
Petersen faces 62 state and federal felony charges in Arizona, Utah and Arkansas. He's accused of baby trafficking, medicaid fraud, theft and attempted money laundering in his adoption business.
Petersen's new attorney was defiant during a 12 News interview: Petersen will fight any suspension, he's not resigning and he could be back on the job soon.
"Right now as we sit here, he's a very, very innocent man," attorney Kurt Altman said Wednesday after the County Board vote.
If there are adoption documents on Petersen's work computer, Altman says it doesn't matter.
"If the office is running in appropriate fashion, if the duties of the office are being performed, it's not neglect."
Petersen has a federal court hearing Tuesday in Arkansas. Altman said he could be freed on bond, then return to Arizona and the assessor's office.
"We expect at some point for him to be out of custody, be able to go to his office and do his job," Altman said.
Petersen has a busy court calendar over the next two weeks: the hearing in Arkansas, plus court dates in Utah and back here in Phoenix.
