Pima County Board of Supervisors candidate under investigation

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - A former state legislator, who's now running for a seat on the Pima County Board of Supervisors, is accused of breaking the law.

Pima County Recorder, F. Ann Rodriguez is asking the county attorney to investigate Vic Williams for snapping pictures at an early voting site today.

"We took photos when we left the polling location and that was it, took 3,4 photos, we posted them on our Facebook," Williams said. Those photos are now in question and could end up being used against him, "we picked up a couple of our supporters and drove them to the polls," Williams told us, "we had an 82 year-old gentleman with us who's infirmed, vision impaired, and we wanted to make sure he could get to the polls."

Pima County Recorder, F. Ann Rodriguez wants an investigation to see if the pictures violate a state law that prohibits photographs inside or within 75 feet of a polling place or walk-in early voting site. Doing so is a class two misdemeanor. Rodriguez says Williams was told taking pictures is not allowed and pointed out that signs are posted at the site clearly indicating that photos are prohibited.

Williams acknowledges seeing those signs, "when we got there, I saw a sign that said no photography inside the polling location and so I did not take any photos inside the polling area, I took photos outside the polling area when there was no postings whatsoever that you could not take a picture outside of that area."

But Rodriguez says both pictures show Williams is well within the 75-foot limit area where photos are prohibited and that one of them shows Williams without a mask on in a common area of a county building which is a violation of the mask mandate. Williams says this is an example of the corruption within Pima County government, "so these are just typical Pima County politics where they're trying to gin up things, trying to fabricate stuff but you know, we're here, we're going to represent the people, we're getting our voters to the polls, and we're working hard and we've done nothing wrong."

Pima County Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez released this statement, "I am shocked that a former member of the Legislature would violate state statutes, particularly after he was specifically told that photos were prohibited. It is also very concerning that he would also recklessly endanger my staff and the staff of the Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department by removing his mask solely to take a publicity photo. Mr. Williams did not cast a ballot at the site. His entire purpose of being there was apparently to take these illegal photos."

Williams is running against three other Republicans in the primary election for Pima County Board of Supervisors District one, they are: Oro Valley Councilwoman Rhonda Piña, former Pima County Republican Party Chairman Bill Beard and political newcomer Steve Spain.

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