A Phoenix-area mayor was so furious at a political rival whom he blamed for losing an election that he plotted to kill her, according to a statement the mayor's estranged wife made to police Friday, the East Valley Tribune reported.

The wife, Michelle Berman, claims Gilbert, Ariz., Mayor Steve Berman's 1993 city council defeat prompted him to scout out the jogging path of Councilwoman Linda Abbott, intending to run her over with his truck, according to a Maricopa County police report.

Michelle Berman’s allegations are the latest development in an investigation into her claims that the mayor physically and verbally abused her, the Tribune reported, claims the mayor denies.

She did not give police a time frame for the alleged murder plot, but she explained that her husband backed out at the last minute and told her about the incident at a later time, according to the newspaper.

No arrests have been made, but the case has been turned over to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for review.

In an interview with investigators, Steve Berman denied the claims, calling Abbott his “best friend” on the council, the Tribune reported, and Steve Berman’s lawyer said in a written statement that his wife's allegations are “outrageous and driven by her long-term and verifiable addiction to prescription painkillers.”

Click here to read more on this story from the East Valley Tribune.