The City of Glendale is apparently not playing when it comes to the interference action being coordinated by the Goldwater Institute against the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes to businessman Matthew Hulsizer. According to a report from ESPN, the city is fed up and will file suit against both the institute and individual board members including Randy Kendrick, the wife of Arizona Diamondbacks owner, Ken Kendrick.
The Goldwater Institute has inserted itself into the sale of the Coyotes by opposing the negotiation between Hulsizer and the city. They claim that a provision of the deal that sends a $100 million payment from Glendale to Hulsizer in return for the team transferring the rights to parking fees for Coyotes games violates a provision of state law.
In order to finance the $100 million payment, the city planned on selling bonds. However, a threat from the Goldwater Institute of a lawsuit has driven up the price of the bonds which would potentially cost the tax payers of Glendale additional money. According to the ESPN report, the conservative policy group named after former Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater has also contacted potential bond purchasers and actively warned them away from the deal.
The city estimates that if the Coyotes leave Glendale the cost to the tax payers would be in excess of $500 million over 20 years.
Glendale is reportedly going to sue the Goldwater Institute for "hundreds of millions" of dollars in damages and will also seek a legal finding that the $100 million pricing for the rights to the parking fees is not in violation of state law.
As for Kendrick's involvement, the ESPN report says:
Among those expected to be named specifically in the suit will be Randy P. Kendrick, who is the wife of Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick and a member of the Goldwater board. She seemed shocked when contacted by ESPN.com Saturday afternoon but declined comment.