Susan Bitter Smith

Susan Bitter Smith
Arizona Corporation Commission President
In office 2013 – January 4, 2016
Succeeded by	Andy Tobin
President of the Central Arizona Project
In office 2007–2013
Vice Mayor, Scottsdale, Arizona
In office 1992–1992
City Council, Scottsdale
In office 1988–1992
Personal details
Born	1956 (age 67–68)
Political party	Republican
Alma mater	Arizona State University
Website	[1]

Susan Bitter Smith is an Arizona Republican politician who serves as Chairman of the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Recently, Bitter Smith has received significant media attention regarding a complaint filed against her with the Arizona Attorney General for conflict of interest. On September 15, 2015, in an article titled "Susan Bitter Smith Should Resign," the Arizona Republic wrote, "The Susan Bitter Smith death watch has officially begun." Bitter Smith announced she would be resigning from the Commission effective January 4, 2016.

Controversy

File:Susan Bitter Smith conflict of interest.jpg

Click image to enlarge. Venn diagram illustrating conflict of interests related to Bitter Smith.

Bitter Smith lobbies for the telecommunications industry. She also regulates the telecommunications industry.

Bitter Smith is listed as a lobbyist for the cable industry and the telecommunications industry in the Arizona Capital Times Book of Lobbyists for years 2013, 2014 and 2015. She joined the Corporation Commission, which regulates the telecommunications industry, in 2013.

Attorney General investigation

As of 2015, the Arizona Attorney General’s office began investigating a complaint that seeks to have Bitter Smith removed from the Arizona Corporation Commission due to conflict-of-interest issues. As chair of the commission, Bitter Smith is in charge of regulating the telecommunications industry. However, at the same time, she is working as a lobbyist for the industry.

In addition to serving on the Arizona Corporation Commission, Bitter Smith runs her own public relations firm called Technical Solutions. In 2015, she served as a lobbyist for the Scottsdale National Golf Club. The golf club wanted a zoning change that would require the Arizona Public Service Company (APS). to move a half-built electrical substation. APS is regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commission. (Bitter Smith is the chair of the commission).

In response to Bitter Smith representing the golf club while simultaneously serving as chair of the Arizona Corporation Commission, Arizona attorney Tom Ryan filed a complaint against her with the Arizona Attorney General’s office. The complaint seeks to have her removed from the commission.

During her lobbying efforts, Bitter Smith contacted residents in the neighborhood, along with the neighborhood’s homeowner’s association, near the electrical substation. A member of the homeowner’s association told Arizona’s NBC Channel 12 news:

“She treated us like we were morons.”

In the Channel 12 TV story, reporter Brahm Resnik said:

“This is a very serious allegation. A public official who is elected to oversee APS is accused of clearing the way for an APS power station—not for the public’s benefit, but for the benefit of her paying client. That alleged conflict of interest could cost Susan Bitter Smith her job."

She announced her resignation on December 17, effective January 4, 2016.

Bitter Smith's lobbying firm

Bitter Smith and her husband own Technical Solutions. It is a public affairs firm. Until recently, the company described itself on its website as a “full service government affairs services including direct federal, state and local lobbying activities with agencies ranging from the Federal Communications Commission, to the Arizona Corporation Commission, to the Arizona Legislature and Arizona municipalities.”

The description from Technical Solution's website was removed after Ryan filed the complaint against Bitter Smith.

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona, 2010#District 5

External links

• Mrs Bitter-Smith's facebook page
• [2]