The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors named a new assessor on Friday, more than a month after Paul Petersen resigned amid his ongoing international adoption fraud case.
The board voted unanimously to appoint Eddie Cook during a special meeting.
“In Gilbert, we’ve been able to show how a local government can be transformed to operate like a billion-dollar corporation,” Cook said in a press release.
“I look forward to coming into this excellent, high performance environment and building a team culture focused on outstanding service to Maricopa County residents.”
Five candidates were interviewed for the position. The other candidates were Thomas Galvin, Jr., Rodney Glassman, Laurin Hendrix and Darren Rasmussen.
Cook cannot be sworn in until the Town of Gilbert accepts his resignation. Cook will resign at his final council meeting on Feb. 18.
Petersen resigned from his position on Jan. 7.
He resigned three months after he was charged in an international adoption fraud scheme involving women from the Marshall Islands.
Petersen has pleaded not guilty to dozens of charges both federally and in three states, including Arizona. The indictments were handed down in October.
The board had voted to suspend Petersen for 120 days in late October. Bill Wiley was named as a replacement in the interim.
An investigation released in early December found that there was no evidence that Petersen neglected his duties.
The county board decided differently.
Petersen received a $77,000-a-year salary from taxpayers as an elected official.
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