Guest Editorial
BY BOB WILLIAMS | NOVEMBER 19, 2014
All lawyered up
Our boy Trenk is all lawyered up and it’s sort of entertaining to count the ways. To begin with, he had to get lawyered up to even get on the ballot last year. He was not a resident of Cave Creek under the law, and probably still isn’t, but he hired a clever lawyer and a got friendly judge to determine that he “intended” to move back to Cave Creek and he got on the ballot. That’s one. The same clever lawyer was then used to keep Dick Esser off the ballot to clear the deck to get his Slate elected. That’s two. After dumping an estimated $25 – $50,000 into his campaign, he bought enough votes to get elected. Then he, along with his co-conspirators Monachino, Durkin, and Spitzer, irresponsibly and recklessly fired the best town manager Cave Creek ever had and, of course, he and his co-conspirators had to get all lawyered up again. That pesky little bit of stupidity has cost the Cave Creek taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees – and climbing every day. That’s three. Understandably, a heavy dose of voters’ remorse set in and a PAC was formed to initiate the process to recall this reckless and dishonest Slate of Trenk and his bobbleheads. So what did Trenk do? He got all lawyered up again to subvert our democratic process and avoid an election to recall himself and Monachino, and it worked. That’s four. But, to hold his conspiratorial Slate together, he had to get Durkin and Spitzer all lawyered up to get their signatures invalidated, as well. That’s five. Being the vindictive little man he is, Trenk then hired his lawyer to make sure that Susan Clancy was disqualified as a school board candidate. Her crime was having the audacity to lead the PAC to recall Trenk and likely run against him. The lesson here is don’t get in Trenk’s way or you may see his lawyer up close and personal. That’s six. Then he was served with a federal lawsuit for violating the First Amendment rights of the town manager he fired and this is a biggie - $3 million on himself and the town. This will cost you and me even more for legal defense even though the town will be defended by its insurance carrier, not to mention the potential $3 million hit. Trenk has reportedly hired his own big time New York lawyer. That’s seven. His latest is the investigation by the County Attorney into his reported and admitted violation of the recall election laws. You can bet he lawyered up for that and that’s eight.
A recent editorial posed the pertinent question “How much justice can you afford?” Here is a boy with access to seemingly unlimited amounts of money who has lawyered up eight times in the past 18 months or so to get and try to retain an unpaid seat on the Cave Creek Town Council or to punish his perceived enemies. How many of you could afford that? How many of you would do it even if you could afford to? How many of you have the behavioral issues that would cause you to hire lawyers eight times in 18 months? Trenk is a lawyer’s dream client – he generates unending problems and apparently has unlimited money to buy his way out. I suspect he bit off a couple issues here he can’t buy his way out of and if he can’t, you can be sure it won’t be for his lack of lawyers. Time will tell.
This New Jerseyite has spent thousands – easily in the range $150,000 - $200,000, to get and retain an unpaid council seat in this small Arizona town and he is not through. He retains professional talent to manage his campaigns and prepare his election publications. Prior to the upcoming March recall election, you are going to receive a ton of Trenk’s very professional, full color campaign mailers and literature that will vary from disingenuous to outright laughable.
Now, if you believe Trenk is spending all of this money just so he can anoint us poor Cave Creek residents with his boundless grace, I will give you my very best price on the Golden Gate Bridge. Trenk’s seemingly insane monetary investment in this unpaid council seat tells you Cave Creek is crucial to his political ambitions. However, Cave Creek does not need Mr. Trenk and all his lawyers.
