Viewed Threat as ‘Spat,’ Aide to Mecham Says

A former top aide to impeached Gov. Evan Mecham testified Friday that he viewed the alleged death threat that led to obstruction of justice charges against the governor as a “spat” between two gubernatorial employees.

Max Hawkins told a Senate court of impeachment that he believed Peggy Griffith was “making a mountain out of a mole hill” when she told him that prison construction chief Lee Watkins had threatened Donna Carlson, Mecham’s former legislative liaison.

At the time, Carlson was a witness before a grand jury investigating alleged campaign finance improprieties by Mecham.

Mecham is accused of obstructing the investigation into the alleged death threat in one of three articles of impeachment. He also is charged with concealing a $350,000 campaign loan on state-required reports and with illegally loaning state money to his automobile dealership.

Hawkins, who was the Administration Department director, said that he talked with Watkins and Griffith on Nov. 13, the day after the alleged threat was made in a conversation between the two. He said he then reported to Mecham.

‘Blowing Off Hot Air’

“I told him I had talked to Peggy and Lee and found the matter probably would go away by itself . . . it was a spat, a frivolous matter,” Hawkins said. “I thought it was just Lee blowing off hot air and Peggy overreacting.”

Hawkins said he advised the governor not to concern himself with the matter.

Hawkins said Watkins reported he had told Griffith that Carlson should be careful saying bad things about the governor because there were a lot of “excitable” people and she could be harmed. He said Griffith gave a similar account.

During his conversation with Griffith, Hawkins said: “I’m listening for a threat, I don’t hear it . . . I didn’t hear that Lee said, ‘I will harm her (Carlson) or I will have her harmed.’ ”

He said Griffith told him she was going to the Public Safety Department about the threat. Hawkins said he concluded that “Peggy is mad at Lee because Lee has attacked Donna.”

Hawkins said a “bombshell” was dropped the night of Nov. 15 when Watkins’ attorney told him the alleged threat would be reported in a Phoenix newspaper the following morning. He said he did not know until the newspaper story appeared that the attorney general’s office and a grand jury were investigating the alleged threat.