Arizona State Bar Clears Cochise County Attorney Accused Of Betraying Clients

By Staff Reporter

The Arizona State Bar has decided not to discipline Cochise County Attorney Brian McIntyre despite serious accusations against him. After a thorough review, they dismissed the complaint, choosing instead to issue a public admonition, according to the Arizona Daily Independent.

The state bar concluded that discipline could be managed through “instructional comment” and noted that McIntyre had completed a client confidentiality course. They rebuked him for disclosing confidential information publicly instead of in a private executive session.

During a 2022 public meeting, McIntyre advised the Cochise County Board of Supervisors against a post-election hand count audit. After the board faced a lawsuit over the audit, McIntyre sent a letter to the plaintiffs’ counsel, outlining laws he believed his clients may have violated.

Former Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller and State Representative Alexander Kolodin filed a complaint against McIntyre late last year. They accused him of violating attorney-client privilege and undermining his clients with his public disclosure and subsequent actions.

The matter intensified when an uncovered document revealed that McIntyre might have coordinated with Attorney General Kris Mayes and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes against his county supervisors. The document, a letter to Mayes, requested the retraction of an opinion by former Attorney General Mark Brnovich on expanded hand counts, while McIntyre’s clients were actively appealing to conduct those counts.

“Key to our initial efforts was determining the apparent potential conflicts with pursuing a prosecution that might result from that investigation,” McIntyre wrote. He expressed concerns about the relationship with the Board and the motivations behind any prosecution.

In December, as the state bar began investigating McIntyre, Mayes issued indictments for felony-level election interference and conspiracy against Cochise County Supervisors Peggy Judd and Tom Crosby. Later, McIntyre testified to a grand jury about the 2022 general election audit.

McIntyre’s troubles didn’t end there. In early 2023, he was arrested and pleaded guilty to an extreme DUI with a blood alcohol content of 0.2 percent, significantly over the legal limit of 0.08 percent. Footage from the arrest showed McIntyre disputing the breathalyzer results.

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