Maricopa Democrats mailer case ends with Franks fulfilling plea deal terms
State of play: Under the terms of a deal Franks entered into in November, the case would be dismissed upon the completion of the diversion program he entered into.
Franks fulfilled the terms of the plea deal, and the Pinal County Attorney's Office requested that the case be dismissed, which a judge granted in April.
Franks pleaded guilty last November to one class 6 felony charge of theft and was placed on supervised probation.
He'd also been charged with nine counts of forgery, charges that were dismissed as part of his plea deal.
Catch up quick: The Maricopa County Democratic Party paid $24,480 to Tempe-based consulting firm Agave Strategy for about 100,000 mailers in October 2022. Agave subcontracted through Franks' company, Blaque Printing Enterprise.
Agave Strategy CEO Dawn Penich told Axios last year that Franks gave her documents purporting to show the mailers were sent through a sub-vendor.
Democratic party officials, upon learning the mailers never went out, questioned the authenticity of the documents, later determined to be forgeries, according to reports from the sheriff's office.
The party asked for a refund, which it received the following January.
Zoom in: Franks' theft count stemmed from a separate incident in which Agave Strategy said it paid him about $2,400 for 10,000 school board candidate mailers that were never sent.
He agreed to repay the money as part of his plea deal.
The intrigue: The incident prompted the resignations of the MCDP's chair and executive director.
MCDP enacted a conflict-of-interest policy in September 2022 requiring employees to disclose financial conflicts to its executive board and recuse themselves while the board decides on the transactions or arrangements.
Franks and executive director Ne'Lexia Galloway, then his fiancée, asked Agave Strategy to use Blaque Printing for the mailer job but requested that the firm keep the arrangement secret, Penich said.
What they're saying: Franks' attorney, Steve Benedetto, said in a statement to Axios his client took the plea deal not because he was guilty but because "like many before him, he knew what he was up against if he chose to proceed in the criminal justice system."
Per Benedetto, Franks decided "to protect his future, his family and his peace. He is grateful that this matter has been dismissed, and looking forward to closing this chapter."
MCDP chair Patti O'Neil said the case shows the need for the party to vet the people it hires and elects, calling the ordeal a "lesson learned."
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