House GOP leaders hired a private law firm to investigate ethics complaints against one of their fellow lawmakers.
Attorneys with Ballard Spahr will conduct an investigation of Rep. David Cook (R-Globe). Cook is the subject of two ethics complaints stemming from his alleged affair with an agricultural lobbyist.
Attorney Mark Kokanovich will lead the investigation, according to Rep. John Allen, the chair of the House Ethics Committee. Kokanovich is a former assistant U.S. attorney for Arizona.
It's the second time in 12 months that Ballard Spahr has been tasked with investigating a GOP representative in the House. The firm was hired in February 2019 to investigate complaints against former Rep. David Stringer. Stringer later resigned in March.
