Sproul staying on Bee campaign

A report by RedArizona that Nathan Sproul is being relieved of his position as an adviser and fundraiser on state Sen. Tim Bee's campaign to unseat U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-8) is unfounded, according to a spokesman for Bee.

"There's nothing to those reports," said Tom Dunn, Bee's communications director. Dunn told PolitickerAZ.com that Sproul, a former Arizona Republican Party executive director and past Arizona Christian Coalition leader, was remaining on the campaign, and that his position remains unchanged.

RedArizona reported Sproul's exit late Thursday night, quoting "sources close to the senator" as saying: "Nathan Sproul will not be playing a direct role in the campaign." The sources told RedState that Sproul was leaving to work for a ballot initiative, "Stop Hiring Illegals" that would overturn a employer-sanctions law that Bee helped pass.

The rumor wasn't immediately dismissed, and some Republicans who'd heard a similar report were confident they were real.