Mohave County supervisor Travis Lingenfelter adamantly denies any wrongdoing by text but refuses to submit to interview to clarify some local economic development involvements.
Lingenfelter has been one of the strongest local advocates for Sunbelt Development and the Las Vegas based company bid to build the Rancho Santa Fe Interchange and Parkway and develop it’s 1,000-acre parcel nearby.
Lingenfelter has heavily lobbied for the projects in recent years and voted in support when various components of the jigsaw puzzle came before the city council when he previously served as member and Vice-Mayor. Lingenfelter took county office as supervisor in Jan. and 6 months later it was announced that he was on the Sunbelt management team.
Lenhart was delivering a power point presentation during the June 22 meeting of the Kingman and Mohave Manufacturing Association (KAMMA) at the Kingman Airport which included a slide showing the project players.
Lenhart and William Plise decorate the top of the flow chart as KDP Manager with retired Mohave County Finance Director John Timko as Director of Governmental Affairs at the bottom of the slide. Lingenfelter’s name appears in the middle, ascribing to him the title of Project Manager.
“They got through with the thing and said our project manager will be Travis Lingenfelter to make sure to push the deal through,” said KAMMA Vice President Tim Woods, whom Lingenfelter beat in the 2020 supervisors’ race. “That’s what struck me as a little odd.”
Lingenfelter agreed early Wednesday afternoon to interview later in the day when free after he was asked if he would answer questions about his economic development consulting enterprise. Lingenfelter asked if the inquiry involved his vitamin or IWS-advisor businesses.
Lingenfelter was advised the inquiry instead involved his role with KDP and he immediately answered a compensation question he wasn’t asked.
“I’ve never received one cent from KDP,” a Lingenfelter text stated. “If you publish that I will sue.”
Lingenfelter said he is not currently managing any projects but declined to provide any timeline for any alleged management team involvement announced by Lenhart. He also denied any conflict of interest has occurred and he “very respectfully” declined, despite multiple attempts to gain clarity through interview.
“I’m not going to be a part of a `phishing’ expedition, which is what this appears to be,” he said.
The communication broke down before the supervisor could be asked about a website that shows him to be the Principal for Interstate West Solutions, LLC an economic development consulting firm. It appears the LLC was established in in late, 2020, with Lingenfelter listed as the Registered Agent and a mailing address of 1918 Simms Ave.
The company website features a cache of projects entitled “Our Portfolio. A glimpse of some of our past projects.” It offers a diagram of two yet to be constructed and proposed I-40 Kingman interchanges.
The images also display a number of buildings and projects that Lingenfelter claims involvement that were completed more than ten years ago, including the county Adult Detention Center and Administration building, both constructed long before Intermountain West Solutions existed.
“I am very proud of my involvement as part of the prior Kingman City Council and working tirelessly to advocate for and secure the State of Arizona’s $20-million-dollar contribution for the Rancho Santa Fe Project,” Lingenfelter said,” within the body of an 8”-long text delineating his claims of accomplishment and achievement.
State grand jury indictments naming Lenhart and realtor Justin Chambers as defendants following a Kingman election campaign donation investigation initiated in 2018 were unsealed Thursday. Both face single count, Class 6 felony charges of unlawful campaign contribution by a corporation, punishable from probation up to four years in prison.
Donation recipients are not charged.
Lenhart’s alleged illegal donation “for the purpose of influencing an election” involves a $2,000 contribution from a Sunbelt LLC to former Mayor Dick Anderson in 2016. Chambers is accused of making an illegal donation of $2,000 to current Mayor Jen Miles in 2018. Chambers has pleaded not guilty while Lenhart is scheduled for arraignment next Monday before Judge Billy Sipe. The Court had not been issued notice of appearance by any defense counsel as of Thursday morning.
Dave Hawkins
