Michelle Ye Hee Lee

The Republic | azcentral.com

Arizona Supreme Court disbars Montana-based attorney Ed Moriarity from practicing in Arizona.

Moriarity counseled clients involved in the years-long county political and legal wars.

Ed Moriarity, an attorney who counseled two former Maricopa County officials in their years-long legal and political fights with the county, on Tuesday was disbarred by the Arizona Supreme Court.

Moriarity, a Montana-based lawyer, consented to the disbarment, court records show.

A complaint against Moriarity drafted by state Bar counsel alleged that he was dishonest in backing false claims by his client and that he misrepresented his role as counsel for former Deputy County Attorney Lisa Aubuchon. Aubuchon was a top attorney for then-County Attorney Andrew Thomas and helped lead his battles against the county, judges and others from 2009 to 2011.

Aubuchon, Thomas, former sheriff's Chief Deputy David Hendershott and Sheriff Joe Arpaio brought federal racketeering charges against several county officials, judges and two private attorneys in 2009. They alleged widespread corruption in state and county government, especially related to funding of the county's downtown Phoenix court-tower construction. Thomas and Arpaio dropped their racketeering lawsuit in 2010, and Aubuchon and Hendershott eventually were fired from their county posts.

They sued the county in August 2011. They alleged, among other things, wrongful termination, retaliation, defamation, perjury and conspiracy among county officials, local media, the state Bar, federal investigators and the state judiciary. Moriarity counseled Aubuchon and Hendershott on their suit.

In 2012, Aubuchon and Thomas were disbarred after the Arizona Supreme Court's disciplinary panel found evidence of ethical misconduct stemming from their roles in the investigations into county officials and judges. Moriarity represented Aubuchon in the proceedings.

The disciplinary panel discredited the racketeering lawsuit and found it was frivolous, baseless and politically motivated.

A complaint against Moriarity was filed with the State Bar of Arizona in March 2014 alleging that he knew Aubuchon's August 2011 lawsuit against the county had no factual or legal basis.

Moriarity could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Moriarity's Bar complaint alleges that he knew the so-called "court tower" conspiracy argued by Aubuchon and her allies was motivated by personal animosity toward other county officials and their lawyers. The complaint also alleges Moriarity claimed to represent Aubuchon pro bono, but had a contingency agreement to be paid under certain circumstances. Finally, the complaint alleges he caused the August 2011 lawsuit to be filed for his personal gain.

The complaint was filed by private attorneys Ed Novak and Tom Irvine, who at one point represented the county and were named in the racketeering suit.

Irvine said he believes Moriarity made the right decision consenting to disbarment.

"Everything Arpaio and Thomas tried as political extortion failed, and it's cost the taxpayers tens and tens of millions of dollars. People lost their licenses to practice law. Other people won't work in their professions again, like Hendershott," Irvine said Tuesday.

"Hopefully, that's a good lesson to everyone: That ethics matter, and substance matters," Irvine said.

Republic reporter Yvonne Wingett Sanchez contributed to this article.