Crazy Sheriff Joe Arpaio facing FBI investigation for abusing his power by arresting his critics
By David Neiwert Saturday Oct 31, 2009 11:00am
Phoenix's KPHO-Channel 5 broke the news yesterday:
The FBI is looking into accusations that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is using his position to settle political vendettas.
Over the past year, 5 Investigates examined more than two dozen complaints against the sheriff from business owners, government workers, mayors and law-enforcement officials.
They claim they spoke out against Arpaio, and shortly after, deputies paid them unwelcome visits.
Among the public officials who have been victimized by Arpaio's little reign of terror in Maricopa County:
-- Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, who sicced the Justice Department on Arpaio for his racial-profiling practices.
-- Mesa Police Chief
-- Dan Saban, who ran against the sheriff in 2004 and 2008
-- Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard
-- Maricopa County Manager David Smith
-- The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors
-- Superior Court Presiding Judge Barbara Mundell
-- ACLU attorney Daniel Pochoda
We described Arpaio's incredible thuggery late last year in his dealings with the public, especially those who dare criticize him. An anti-Arpaio group called Maricopa Citizens for Safety Accountability, which formed last year in response to investigative reports and studies demonstrating that Arpaio's insane obsession with illegal immigrants was destroying his office's ability to actually deal with real law enforcement work, began showing up at county board meetings and asking to speak. Arpaio actually sent out his deputies in force to patrol these meetings, and they arrested people for merely applauding Arpaio's critics.
If that sounds fascist to you, that's about right -- after all, some of the local neo-Nazis are Arpaio's biggest fans -- and he's been known to return the love.
The KPHO reporters also talked to former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, made famous as one of the people fired by Karl Rove for failing to be political enough in his prosecutions. His assessment was damning indeed;
"I've been in and around law enforcement for about 20 years -- state, local and federal level (and) even some military prosecution work. I've never seen anything like this," Iglesias said after he looked through 5 Investigates' research and did some on his own.
If he were handling the case, Iglesias said, "I would work very closely with the civil rights division in Washington, D.C., and based on the information I have, I would seek an indictment."
Arpaio did offer a response in his inimitable smear-the-critics style:
