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Do you work for Arizona state government? Do you do business with government?
Help us understand how it works



OPEN FOR BUSINESS


DO YOU WORK FOR ARIZONA STATE GOVERNMENT? DO YOU DO BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT?
HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS

Craig Harris, Richard Ruelas, Andrew Ford, Arizona Republic
Published 9:30 AM GMT Jul. 14, 2021 Updated 9:30 AM GMT Jul. 14, 2021

In the investigative series below, The Arizona Republic reveals how Gov. Doug
Ducey supported a powerful Texas businessman — and potential political ally — in
his attempt to obtain millions of dollars in tax refunds from Arizona’s
treasury. 

The businessman, G. Brint Ryan, and his clients stood to profit handsomely if
the Department of Revenue agreed to pay more than $100 million in tax refunds
for diesel fuel sold to mining operations. 

Ryan hired three of Ducey’s top former lieutenants to help him organize a
campaign to persuade Department of Revenue officials into giving him what he
wanted. At least three more top officials within Ducey’s administration
assisted.

The campaign to get the tax refunds ultimately failed. The Republic wants to
find out if other examples of similar conduct have occurred in Arizona under
Ducey’s watch.

We need your help.

We want to hear from people who have worked in Doug Ducey’s administration or
elsewhere in state government, or are otherwise knowledgeable about how it
operates. Reporters want to understand whether state agencies are effectively
complying with laws about contracts, conflicts of interest and interactions with
the private sector, particularly in light of ongoing calls to limit the size and
role of state government. We also want to know about the successes of the Ducey
administration. We’d like to talk with both current employees and people who
have left ... even if it was some time ago.

Ducey’s administration and the state agencies under his direction are
sometimes slow to release public records. The governor’s office only released
travel records and calendar entries for top officials after The Republic’s
attorneys began initiating legal proceedings. As more private entities become
involved in performing government functions, the picture becomes murkier.

CJ Karamargin, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, said they look forward
to seeing what the news tips might be.

“We made improving services to taxpayers and government efficiency a high
priority since 2015,” he said. “As a businessman, Gov. Ducey knows the best way
to improve is to hear from our customers. And in this case, that’s the citizens
of the state of Arizona.”

A free and vigorous press is a founding principle of this country. We believe
investigative journalism is an essential force in a modern democracy. We’ve
investigated issues across the state and published reporting critical of
Democrats and Republicans. We go where the facts take us, and our reporting has
shown there’s good reason to take a closer look at the dealings of government
officials.

Do you know about problematic relationships involving state government officials
or their staff? Are you aware of arrangements that don’t serve the public? Do
you know something your bosses or the governor’s office are doing that the
public should know about?

We want to talk to you. To get in touch, please use the form below as we’re
expecting a lot of responses.

We’re committed to your security. We gratefully accept anonymous tips, which we
confirm through additional reporting steps including gathering records and
conducting on-the-record interviews with sources we name in our stories. If you
think you need additional security, you might consider using an encrypted email
account such as ProtonMail.

Or a simple way to improve security is to send us information by snail mail. You
can mail letters, tips, disks, USB drives, or physical copies of documents to:

Investigative team

The Arizona Republic

200 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix, AZ 85004

This form has been deactivated and is closed to any further submissions.
Online Form - Help us understand AZ state government

 1. The Millionaire
    
    How G. Brint Ryan made a fortune, and stood to make another one in Arizona
    
    READ MORE

 2. The Governor
    
    How Doug Ducey stepped in to help a Texas tax-refund millionaire
    
    READ MORE

 3. The Deputies
    
    How Ducey’s top deputies pushed for deal that would have cost Arizona $100
    million
    
    READ MORE

 4. The Insider
    
    How Ducey’s deputy chief of staff pushed for a mining tax give-back
    
    READ MORE

 5. The Public Servants
    
    When Ducey’s administration wanted a costly tax giveaway, these tax
    officials pushed back
    
    READ MORE


Published 9:30 AM GMT Jul. 14, 2021 Updated 9:30 AM GMT Jul. 14, 2021

Subscriber Exclusive OPEN FOR BUSINESS


UNTANGLING ARIZONA GOV. DOUG DUCEY’S COMPLEX NETWORK OF INTERESTS

Craig Harris, Michael Braga, Javier Zarracina, Arizona Republic and USA TODAY
Published 9:13 am UTC Jul. 14, 2021 Updated 5:27 pm UTC Jul. 14, 2021

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who has presidential aspirations and serves as an
attack dog against President Biden, supported a multi-year effort by a powerful
Texas businessman to extract millions of dollars in tax refunds from Arizona’s
Department of Revenue.

The pursuit of the refunds — uncovered through dozens of interviews and after
poring over more than 3,500 pages of court records, financial reports, internal
emails, as well as scribbled sign-in logs, travel records and calendar entries
from three state offices — reveals what Ducey was willing to do to benefit
people who could pave his road to national office. 

The Texas businessman and major GOP political contributor, G. Brint Ryan made
his fortune helping clients of all sizes save on taxes. He saw an opportunity
for profit in Arizona by assisting companies to claw back more than $100 million
in sales taxes paid on diesel fuel used in mining operations. His firm, named
after himself, employed Ducey’s former top aides and enlisted additional help
from the governor’s current staff to carry out his plan. Some of these officials
did their jobs in spite of alleged conflicts of interests.

Top officials at the Department of Revenue stood in the way, and the deal
ultimately fell through. The officials say the Ducey administration later fired
them because of their unwillingness to bend.

Here’s a map of the main players involved in this failed behind the scenes power
play and what each had at stake.

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