PHOENIX (AP) -
The three Republican candidates for Arizona Corporation Commission will each return nearly $10,000 in public campaign financing under a settlement approved Thursday.
The Citizens Clean Elections Commission approved the agreement with candidates Susan Bitter Smith, Bob Burns and Bob Stump to resolve a complaint filed by the state Democratic Party.
According to the commission's executive director, the Republicans misused some of their primary election funding by using it for a pre-primary mailing actually intended for general election purposes.
The Republicans denied that their mailer violated campaign finance laws, but they said they wanted to settle the campaign finance case so they can focus on election issues.
The three Republicans and the three Democratic candidates were unopposed in the primary election.
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