Former state legislator and justice of the peace Keith Bee is βindigent,β his attorney claimed in the run-up to his March 16 sentencing for tax crimes.
But property records in Pima County and elsewhere suggest he still owns millions of dollars in property, as the Tucson Sentinel first reported March 19. Not only that, but court fillings show he lived primarily in Casa Grande when he was a justice of the peace representing the eastern Tucson area.
Attorney Michael Piccarretta called Bee βindigentβ in a sentencing memorandum he filed March 9, noting that he is living in a 720-square-foot mobile home, working up to 100 hours per week.
But Pima County assessorβs records list Bee as the owner of three properties on Tucsonβs far east side with full cash value of more than $3 million.
Bee also lived in Casa Grande, 75 miles away from his east-side district, while representing that district as justice of the peace, the sentencing memorandum makes clear.
Responding to federal prosecutorsβ claims about how Bee used his property, Piccarretta wrote: βThe truth is that the Saguaro Monument property was never used as a personal residence for Mr. Bee or his family. Mr. Bee and his family resided in Casa Grande during this entire period of time.β
At the time, Bee put on election filings an address on the east side of the Tucson area.
On Thursday, Piccarreta explained the reference to indigence by saying βYou can have assets, but if your debits out-weight your assets, youβre indigent.β
As to the residency issue, Piccarreta said: βDuring that period, he was living primarily in Casa Grande, but he also had a residence that heβs owned forever in Pima County.β
βMost of the time he put his head on the pillow in Casa Grande, but he also had a residence here in Tucson.β
Bee served in the state House, then the Senate, from 1991 to 2001 and was succeeded by his brother Tim. Keith Bee was appointed justice of the peace in 2007 and served until he was indicted in 2018. In the indictment, he was accused of claiming luxury personal expenses as expenses of his bus company.
In a plea agreement, he acknowledged filing a false tax return, and he was sentenced to six months in prison.
Hernandez misses votes
When state representatives voted on three of the biggest bills of the session Thursday, one Tucson Democrat was missing.
Rep. Daniel Hernandez Jr. was one of three representatives who did not vote on bills reducing abortion limits, prohibiting some medical treatments for transgender minors and increased documentation requirements for voter registration.
Hernandez, who is running for the Democratic nomination for Congress in southeastern Arizonaβs CD6, did not return a text message Thursday seeking comment. Other Democrats said he had flown to Washington, D.C., for an education policy conference.
His absence drew criticism from some fellow Democrats and progressives, who said he should have been there even though Republicans hold a 31-29 majority. Tomas Robles, co-executive director of Living United for Change in Arizona, or LUCHA, said it reminded him of the passage of SB 1070, when some Democrats simply didnβt show up to vote.
βAll it takes is for a Republican to have a flat tire or not show up for us to be able to kill a bill,β he said.
Mastersβ NFT fundraising
Blake Masters, the Tucsonan who is running for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate, has pioneered the use of NFTs for fundraising.
Already, he reported, heβs raised $550,000 for his campaign by selling nonfungible tokens. If you donβt know what a NFT is, then this fundraiser probably isnβt for you. Itβs for the Silicon Valley types and crypto-currency enthusiasts whom Masters counts among his supporters.
Masters, as you may know, made his name while working for tech mogul Peter Thiel in Silicon Valley. He announced March 16 heβs resigned his positions running Thiel Capital and the Thiel Foundation.
On Thursday, Masters opened the sale of more NFTs as a fundraiser for his campaign. They are NFTs of the graphics from the original volume of the book he co-authored with Thiel β βZero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future.β
If sold individually, they could rake in up to $4 million for his campaign, but Masters is selling them in reduced-price packs of up to 60 NFTs for the maximum allowed contribution of $5,800 each.
Ironically, Mastersβ campaign has labeled one category of NFT collectors βRocket Boys.β If he wins the nomination, heβll be running against Democratic U.S. Senator Mark Kelley, a former astronaut.
New JP scours for signatures
Many candidates are in a last-minute scramble to get enough votersβ signatures to qualify for the ballot.
For one new Pima County officeholder, itβs more like a first-minute scramble.
Deborah Martinez was appointed constable for Pima Countyβs precinct 8 on March 15. She is replacing the resigned constable Kristen Randall, who had two more years left on her term. In the meantime there must be a new election for the official to fill out Randallβs term.
The deadline to gather 377 valid signatures to get on this yearβs ballot is April 4. And the guideline for how many signatures you really need to gather to ensure qualification is about double the minimum required β at least 700.
So, along with starting her new job, Martinez has been touring the precinct, getting signatures to get on this yearβs ballot.
βNormally, a candidate would have four years. I just have two weeks,β Martinez said.
