Russell PearcePHOENIX (AP) - Arizona's judicial conduct commission has filed ethics charges against a former Maricopa County justice of the peace who is a brother of a prominent Arizona politician, former Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce.
Allegations in the four counts announced Thursday include that Lester Pearce engaged in impermissible political activity while a judge, including publicly supporting Russell Pearce in a November 2011 recall race that Russell Pearce lost.
Lester Pearce denies he violated rules on political activity, put his judicial office into disrepute or wasn't honest with the commission.
Pearce is no longer a justice of the peace, but he could be censured and ordered to reimburse the commission for its investigation costs.
Pearce lost a race for county supervisor in the Aug. 28 Republican primary.
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