Arizona schools Superintendent Tom Horne announced Friday that he has canceled a controversial pledge to hold quarterly lunches for top contributors if his campaign for attorney general is successful.

Horne's announcement came on the same day The Arizona Republic reported that Horne had created a club for donors who gave the maximum contribution of $840 to meet with him quarterly throughout his terms in office.

The fundraising strategy was sharply criticized by state election officials, who said it offered access to the state's highest ranking law-enforcement officer in exchange for political contributions. They said they would immediately consider seeking new legislation that would make any such promise illegal.

Horne said Friday that he still believed the "840 Club" was a good idea but wanted to avoid any misunderstanding.

"No one gets any special favors from me," he said in a written statement. "Any implication to the contrary is wrong."

Horne, a Republican, would not say how many people have given $840 to his campaign. In an interview Friday, he said that he was not required to disclose that until next year under campaign-contribution reporting laws.

He said he did not believe anyone gave money based on the promised meetings.

"They gave to me because they believe in what I stand for," he said in an interview. "If anybody wants their money back . . . I will happily give it back."

Horne stressed that the 840 Club was not about giving special access and that as superintendent, he is known as someone whose door is always open.

"I have always been extremely accessible, to teachers, constituents, taxpayers or virtually anyone who has asked to meet," he wrote. "The 840 Club would have been just one more way to get input and would not have involved any kind of access different than that of many people who do not contribute."

Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, who has been in office since 2002, cannot seek re-election in 2010 because of term limits. In addition to Horne, two other Republicans and two Democrats have expressed interest in running for the office.

Horne is a former state legislator and former special assistant attorney general. He said he started the 840 Club as part of an exploratory campaign. In e-mails and printed mailers obtained by The Republic, Horne said that an individual's maximum donation amount is $840, or $1,680 per couple, and if "elected as attorney general, I pledge to have quarterly lunches with members of the '840 Club' throughout my administrations."

State election officials and a California ethics expert said the promise should raise red flags. Election officials said if the same promise were made by a sitting elected official, it would likely be illegal.

They said the 840 Club exposed a gap in state law, because bribery statutes do not apply to campaign fundraising or to a candidate promising future access to office.

Assistant Secretary of State Jim Drake said Friday that he will continue pursuing legislation.

Reach the reporter at robert .anglen@arizonarepublic.com.