Attorney Earns $220,000 After New Times Case Is Tossed

Posted Tuesday, December 18, 2007 12:00 am

By: A Phoenix attorney working for Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas has earned $220,000 more from county taxpayers since the case against the New Times newspaper fell apart in mid-October.

Dennis Wilenchik and his firm Wilenchik & Bartness have been paid more than two million dollars by the county since May 2005.

Wilenchik was hired for contract work after Thomas took office.

The Arizona Republic requested detailed billing records of Wilenchik and his law firm in an attempt to show how taxpayer money is being spent.

The information handed over to the newspaper by the County Attorney's Office was heavily redacted, with county officials citing privileged "work product."

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Attorney Earns $220,000 After New Times Case Is Tossed

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