I have rewritten the David Stringer entry as the current article contains a number of factual errors. All citations have been triple-checked.

David Stringer is an American attorney, businessman, and former Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives. He was first elected to represent Arizona’s Legislative District 1 in 2016 and was re-elected to a second term in 2018.(1) As a legislator he championed traditional conservative themes of limited government, personal and economic freedom, and state sovereignty.(2) His signature issues were criminal justice reform and school choice.(3)

Political background Stringer emerged on the Arizona political scene in 2013 when he served as General Counsel to the Citizen’s Tax Committee, a conservative organization in Yavapai County advocating fiscal accountability and small government.(4) In that year he led their campaign to defeat a school bond and budget override for the Prescott Unified School District.(5) In 2014, he headed a successful campaign to defeat a proposed sales tax increase to build a new county jail in Prescott.(6) In 2015 he led a campaign defeating a sales tax increase in Prescott to fund the city’s spiraling liability to the state’s retirement system for police and firefighters.(7) These campaigns were popular with fiscal conservatives but angered public school and law enforcement officials and many members of the Yavapai County political establishment.

In 2016, Stringer entered a contested primary for the state legislature, winning a narrow victory.(8) He went on to win comfortably in November in the heavily Republican district.(9)

As a freshman legislator he served on the Judiciary, Education, and Government committees.(10) In the summer of 2017, he co-chaired an Ad Hoc Committee on Arizona’s underfunded Public Safety Personnel Retirement System along with his LD1 seatmate, Rep. Noel Campbell, who served as Chairman.(11) He also co-founded a bi-partisan study group on criminal justice reform and sponsored or co-sponsored 11 reform bills in the 54th session of the Arizona Legislature.(12)

In 2018, Stringer overcame a primary challenge in his campaign for reelection and was elected to a second term, winning the second highest vote total in the state for a House race.(13)

Controversial Statements In June 2018, Stringer came under fire over alleged racially tinged comments made during a talk at the Republican Men’s Forum in Prescott, Arizona, where he had been invited to offer a roundup of his first session in the legislature.(14) Before closing his remarks, which have been preserved on video, he segued into comments about illegal immigration and the challenge it presented to Arizona. Stringer suggested that high levels of immigration were changing the culture of the state. He said uncontrolled immigration was politically destabilizing and constituted an “existential threat” to the United States. He also noted that Arizona’s public schools had become “majority minority” and that “this complicates racial integration because there aren’t enough white kids to go around.” Stringer’s comments were seized upon by political rivals who labeled them “racist”. His comments were live streamed on Facebook and roiled Arizona politics. The Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party demanded his resignation as did the Governor of Arizona and other leading political figures.(15)

In a widely publicized event on June 27, 2018, Stringer met with civil rights activists and members of the press in Phoenix, where he had been invited to speak on criminal justice reform and racial justice. In what effectively became a press conference on his views on immigration, Stringer declined to retract his statements, insisting they were factually accurate and not racially pejorative. He offered a carefully worded apology “to anyone who was offended” by the way his statements were “mis-characterized in the media.”(16) Despite the lack of support from many Republican leaders, he retained strong support among LD1 voters, easily fending off a primary challenger and amassing an historic vote total in the November election.(17)

Forced From Office Stringer appeared to have weathered the controversy surrounding his alleged racial comments until a new issue emerged in January 2019, with the appearance of an article in the Arizona Daily Independent about a 1983 case in Baltimore, Maryland, alleging contact with underage prostitutes.(18) According to the article, Stringer was not convicted of the charges and the matter was later expunged. It appears that Stringer had become aware that some fragment of the expunged case had been unearthed and he offered some level of cooperation with the story. The article stated that he was not required to plead guilty but accepted a term of probation before judgment for two misdemeanor offenses as a way of avoiding litigation risk in Baltimore Circuit Court.(19) The report went on to say that the District of Columbia Bar Association reviewed the matter before the records were expunged and determined that the allegations were not sufficiently serious to warrant attorney discipline. No action was taken against Stringer. DC Bar records indicate he remains a member in good standing.(20)

Following this report, other highly sensationalized reports appeared in the Arizona media.(21) Although the case had been resolved 35 years earlier, political rivals demanded an ethics investigation. In late January 2019, the Arizona Bar Association opened an inquiry as to whether Stringer made appropriate disclosures about the Maryland case in his 2002 application for admission to the Arizona Bar.(22) Arizona rules require that prior charges be disclosed even when they do not result in conviction.(23) The investigation was mooted when it was learned that Stringer’s bar application had been destroyed in accordance with the Arizona Supreme Court’s records retention policy.(24) In connection with their inquiry, Stringer authorized the release under court seal of a 1984 letter from the D.C. Bar indicating they had reviewed the facts and circumstances of the Maryland case and declined to take disciplinary action. This document remains under seal by the Arizona Supreme Court and is not publicly available.(25) However, in a letter dated March 14, 2019, the Arizona Bar alluded to the earlier findings of the D.C. Bar in support of their decision to close their inquiry without adverse findings.(26)

Stringer later resigned from the Legislature following a demand from the Ethics Committee that he turn over the 1984 letter from the D.C. Bar. His earlier offer to turn it over under seal was refused.(27) Citing the confidentiality of bar communications and the sealing Order by the Arizona Supreme Court, Stringer declined to turn over the letter. Facing a subpoena deadline and under threat of expulsion from House leadership if he failed to comply, Stringer resigned from the Arizona Legislature on March 27, 2019.(28) He remains an elected Precinct Committeeman and Republican State Committeeman in Yavapai County.(29) The attorney rolls of the State Bar of Arizona list Stringer as a licensed attorney in good standing and without disciplinary history since his admission in 2002.(30)

Professional and Business Career From 1978 to the present, Stringer has been a licensed attorney, primarily focused on taxation, family law and criminal defense. He is a member of the Bar Associations of Washington DC, Maryland, and Arizona. In 1992 he was licensed as a CPA in Maryland but is currently listed as inactive. Reportedly, a large percentage of Stringer’s legal work has involved pro bono, reduced fee or court appointed work for socially disadvantaged clients including indigents and wards of the state.

In addition to his law practice, Stringer was an active real estate investor in Washington D.C., Baltimore, and College Park, Maryland from the 1970’s until the early 2000’s, owning and managing residential and commercial properties. In 2004, he purchased the Comfort Inn in Prescott, Arizona, which was sold in 2017.(31) Also in 2017, he acquired a partnership interest in Specialized Publishing, LLC, an owner of digital publications in Arizona. He serves as Publisher and writes occasional pieces on law, politics, and the arts. He maintains a law office in Prescott, Arizona, where he currently resides.

Education Stringer was educated in the public schools of Anchorage, Alaska and Montgomery County, Maryland, graduating from Einstein High School in 1965. He is a graduate of George Washington University (BA, 1970), the University of Baltimore School of Law (JD, 1978) and the Arizona State University School of Education (MA, 2018), with a specialization in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL).

Citations

1. [1]

[2]

2. [3]

3. [4]

4. [5]

[6]

5. [7]

6. [8]

[9]

7. [10]

[11]

8. [12]

9. [13]

10. [14]

11. [15]

[16]

12. [17]

[18]

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13. [20]

14. [21]

15. [22]

16. [23]

17.[24]

18. [25]

19. [26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

21. [31]

[32]

22. [33]

23. [34]

24. [35]

25.[36]

26. [37]

27. [38]

28. [39]

29. [40]

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30. [42]

31. [43]


I have listed the corrections that needed to be made on the Talk: David Stringer page. Please advise on next steps.

Cohwill (talk) 18:04, 6 December 2019 (UTC) Anita

  1. ^ State of Arizona Official Canvass, 2016 General Election – Nov. 8, 2016. 11/29/2016, 3:03 PM. State Representative, District 1, pg 15. https://apps.azsos.gov/election/2016/General/Official%20Signed%20State%20Canvass.pdf
  2. ^ State of Arizona Official Canvass, 2018 General Election – Nov. 6, 2018. 11/30/2018, 8:11 AM. State Representative, District 1, pg. 6 https://azsos.gov/sites/default/files/2018%201203%20Signed%20Official%20Statewide%20Canvass.pdf
  3. ^ VoteStringer.com, About Section. https://web.archive.org/web/20181121024637/http://votestringer.com/about/
  4. ^ VoteStringer.com, Issues Section. https://web.archive.org/web/20181127074114/http://votestringer.com/issues/
  5. ^ Citizens Tax Committee https://www.citizenstaxcommittee.com
  6. ^ “Column: The Tax Man Cometh”, by John Stevens and David Stringer, The Daily Courier, August 8, 2015 (see comment at bottom of column) https://www.dcourier.com/news/2015/aug/08/column-the-tax-man-cometh/
  7. ^ “Top Stories of 2013 - #5: Voters Reject School District Bond, Budget Override Measures,” The Daily Courier, December 28, 2013. https://www.dcourier.com/news/2013/dec/28/top-stories-of-2013-5-voters-reject-school-distri/
  8. ^ “Column: Jail Push shows Contempt for Voters”, by John Stevens and David Stringer, The Daily Courier, February 7, 2015. https://www.dcourier.com/news/2015/feb/07/column-jail-push-shows-contempt-for-voters/
  9. ^ “It’s Final: Jail tax proposal fails”, The Daily Courier, November 11, 2014. https://www.dcourier.com/news/2014/nov/11/its-final-jail-tax-proposal-fails/
  10. ^ “Column: The Tax Man Cometh”, by John Stevens and David Stringer, The Daily Courier, August 8, 2015. https://www.dcourier.com/news/2015/aug/08/column-the-tax-man-cometh/
  11. ^ “Voters reject pension fund, open space taxes”, The Daily Courier, August 26, 2015. https://www.dcourier.com/news/2015/aug/26/voters-reject-pension-fund-open-space-taxes/
  12. ^ State of Arizona Official Canvass, 2016 Primary Election – August 30, 2016. District 1, pg. 7. https://apps.azsos.gov/election/2016/Primary/canvass2016primary.pdf
  13. ^ State of Arizona Official Canvass, 2016 General Election – Nov. 8, 2016. 11/29/2016, 3:03 PM. State Representative, District 1, pg 15. https://apps.azsos.gov/election/2016/General/Official%20Signed%20State%20Canvass.pdf
  14. ^ Ballotpedia – David Stringer. https://ballotpedia.org/David_Stringer
  15. ^ “Speaker Mesnard Announces Creation of House Ad Hoc Committee on PSPRS”, House of Representatives News Release, June 15, 2017. https://www.azleg.gov/press/house/53LEG/1R/170613PSPRS.pdf
  16. ^ “PSPRS House Committee Hearings Begin in Flagstaff”, Arizona Daily Independent, June 28, 2017. https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2017/06/28/psprs-house-committee-hearings-begin-in-flagstaff/
  17. ^ “Reps. Stringer and Engel Form Bipartisan Study Group to Address High Incarceration, Recidivism”, House of Representatives News Release, Dec. 20, 2017. https://www.azleg.gov/press/house/53LEG/2R/171220STRINGER.pdf
  18. ^ “Bi-partisan effort to ‘reform’ sentencing underway”, by Howard Fischer, Arizona Capitol Times, December 21, 2017. https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2017/12/21/bipartisan-effort-to-reform-sentencing-underway/
  19. ^ “Representative David Stringer Named Chair of Ad Hoc Study Committee on Criminal Justice Reform”, House of Representatives News Release, June 5, 2018. https://www.azleg.gov/press/house/53LEG/2R/180604STRINGER.pdf
  20. ^ State of Arizona Official Canvass, 2018 General Election – Nov. 6, 2018. 11/30/2018, 8:11 AM. State Representative, District 1, pg. 6 https://azsos.gov/sites/default/files/2018%201203%20Signed%20Official%20Statewide%20Canvass.pdf
  21. ^ “GOP lawmaker: Not ‘enough white kids to go around’ in Arizona Schools”, by Paulina Pineda, Arizona Capital Times, June 13, 2018. https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2018/06/13/arizona-david-stringer-republican-immigration-not-enough-white-kids-to-go-around-in-public-schools/
  22. ^ “GOP Leaders call for lawmaker to resign over racial comments”, by Paulina Pineda, Arizona Capital Times, June 14, 2018. https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2018/06/14/arizona-david-stringer-doug-ducey-jonathan-lines-gop-leaders-call-for-resignation-over-racial-comments/
  23. ^ “Stringer keeps immigration stance in meeting with African American group”, by Howard Fischer, Arizona Capital Times, June 28, 2018. https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2018/06/28/stringer-keeps-immigration-stance-in-meeting-with-african-american-group/
  24. ^ State of Arizona Official Canvass, 2018 General Election – Nov. 6, 2018. 11/30/2018, 8:11 AM. State Representative, District 1, pg. 6. https://azsos.gov/sites/default/files/2018%201203%20Signed%20Official%20Statewide%20Canvass.pdf
  25. ^ “David Stringer’s False Arrest Drives Empathy For Those Trapped in Unjust System”, by L. Hunnicutt, Arizona Daily Independent, January 16, 2019. https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2019/01/16/experience-drives-david-stringers-empathy-for-those-trapped-in-unjust-system/
  26. ^ Ballotpedia – David Stringer. https://ballotpedia.org/David_Stringer
  27. ^ “2010 Maryland Code, CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, TITLE 6 - TRIAL AND SENTENCING, Subtitle 2 – Sentencing, Section 6-220 – Probation Before Judgement.” (see part g, #3 – “(3) Discharge of a defendant under this section shall be without judgment of conviction and is not a conviction for the purpose of any disqualification or disability imposed by law because of conviction of a crime.”) Justia.com https://law.justia.com/codes/maryland/2010/criminal-procedure/title-6/subtitle-2/6-220
  28. ^ “Maryland Code and Court Rules: Subtitle 1 – Expungement of Police and Court Records”, Thomas Reuters WESTLAW (see specifically 10-101, 10-108, 10-109). https://govt.westlaw.com/mdc/Browse/Home/Maryland/MarylandCodeCourtRules?guid=N7DE70DC09B6811DB9BCF9DAC28345A2A&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)
  29. ^ “What is a Probation Before Judgement (PBJ) Disposition?” Cochran & Chhabra Legal Blog, July 24, 2012. https://ccc-law.com/criminal-defense-blog/probation-before-judgment-in-maryland.html
  30. ^ 20. District of Columbia Bar – Find a Member, type in “David Stringer” and the full record will appear. https://join.dcbar.org/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?Site=dcbar&webcode=findmember
  31. ^ “State Rep. David Stringer Charged with Child Porn in 1983, Court Records Show”, by Steve Hsieh, Phoenix New Times, January 25, 2019. https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/court-records-arizona-lawmaker-david-stringer-charged-child-porn-1983-11183294
  32. ^ “Arizona Rep. David Stringer faces expulsion calls after charges from 1983 revealed”, by Dustin Gardiner, Arizona Republic, January 26, 2019. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2019/01/25/arizona-rep-david-stringer-faces-another-scandal-1983-sex-crime-charges-pornography/2680283002/
  33. ^ “State Bar investigation adds to Stringer’s woes”, by Dillon Rosenblatt, Arizona Capital Times, January 30, 2019. https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2019/01/30/state-bar-investigation-adds-to-stringers-woes/
  34. ^ AZCourts.gov, Attorney Admissions, Miscellaneous Forms, Sample Character and Fitness Application, pg. 16, question #88. https://www.azcourts.gov/Portals/26/admis/pdf/SampleCharacterAndFitnessApplication.pdf
  35. ^ “State Bar closes Stringer investigation without misconduct finding”, by Katie Campbell and Carmen Forman, Arizona Capital Times, March 14, 2019. See also citation 26. https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2019/03/14/state-bar-closes-stringer-investigation-without-misconduct-finding/
  36. ^ “Stringer attorney: ‘hands are tied’ on disclosing documents”, by Howard Fischer, Arizona Capital Times, March 21, 2019. https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2019/03/21/stringer-attorney-hands-are-tied-on-disclosing-documents/
  37. ^ Letter from Matthew E. McGregor, Bar Counsel – Intake, to Carmen A. Chenal (attorney representing David Stringer), re: File No: 19-0274 (the bar charge against Mr. Stringer), dated March 14, 2019. From the first paragraph: “…After our review of the charge and subsequent inquiry, we have determined that no further investigation is warranted at this time. We therefore consider this file closed.”
  38. ^ “Ethics committee rejects Stringer’s request to provide documents in secret”, by Katie Campbell, Arizona Capitol Times, March 20, 2019. https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2019/03/20/ethics-committee-rejects-stringers-request-to-provide-documents-in-secret/
  39. ^ David Stringer. https://ballotpedia.org/David_Stringer
  40. ^ Elections & Voter Registration, Yavapai County Government, AZ http://www.yavapai.us/electionsvr/
  41. ^ Yavapai County Republican Committee (YAVGOP) https://www.yavgop.org/
  42. ^ Arizona State Bar – Lawyer profile for David Stringer. https://azbar.legalserviceslink.com/attorneys-view/DavidHStringer
  43. ^ Yavapai County Recorder, Special Warranty Deed, 7/10/2017. Book/Page 2017-003458, Parcel 107-15-043B/8. https://erecss.yavapai.us/web/web/integration/document?DocumentNumberID=2017-0034581