Arizona House spent $47,000 in 1st month of David Stringer inquiry

PHOENIX (AP) - The Arizona House paid a law firm more than $47,000 for the first month of its investigation of former Rep. David Stringer.

Stringer resigned last month when confronted with a Baltimore police report showing he was accused of paying boys for sex in the 1980s. He's denied the allegations.

The House on Monday released a March 12 invoice from the law firm Ballard Spahr. It shows 12 lawyers worked on the investigation for about 122 hours during the first month. They billed between $215 and $512 per hour.

The House Ethics Committee hired the team led by Ballard Spahr attorney Joseph Kanefield to investigate after the panel received two ethics complaints against Stringer.

Stringer and his attorney did not immediately comment.