Prosecutors are dropping the bribery case against former Arizona Corporation Commissioner Gary Pierce and three others after their trial ended three weeks ago with a mistrial.
The U.S. Attorney's Office informed a judge Tuesday that it was dismissing all charges against Pierce, his wife Sherry, water company owner George Johnson and lobbyist Jim Norton.
Gary Pierce was accused of accepting $31,000 in bribes from Johnson in exchange for favorable regulatory decisions.
Prosecutors said the bribe was funneled to Pierce by Johnson through a political consulting firm that employed Sherry Pierce.
Norton was accused of facilitating the scheme.
All four vigorously disputed they participated in an influence-buying scheme.
The filing by prosecutors didn't say why the case was being dismissed.
The trial ended in a mistrial in mid-July after jurors deadlocked.
