Pinal County judge clarifies GOP ‘endorsement’ position
FLORENCE — An email shared with Pinal County Republicans over the weekend struck a chord of ethical uncertainty with some recipients.
The message from Gold Canyon Republican Chairman Pam Burks included a note from Pinal County Attorney Lando Voyles in which he takes “a moment to brag about the quality of attorneys at the Pinal County Attorney’s Office,” quality that has apparently garnered praise from presiding Pinal County Superior Court Judge Stephen McCarville.
“When broaching the topic, his response demonstrated adamant agreement that PCAO retains very high caliber attorneys,” Voyles wrote of McCarville, according to Burks’ email. “Although, ethically, he cannot endorse candidates running for office, he encouraged me to invite the public to contact him directly, if their concerns remain unresolved.”
Though the statement was clear in that McCarville did not endorse Voyles — no judge may do so ethically — some Pinal County residents raised questions about the message, which was shared publicly on Facebook.
