The decision comes months after state auditors found Babeu and Voyles mismanaged more than $2 million in so-called racketeering, or RICO,funds. Congressional hopeful Paul Babeu briefly joined the growing list of Republicans nationally who renounced their support for Donald Trump's presidential campaign in a tweet that disappeared an. Another $63,772 distributed from the foundation went to public service announcements for both offices. What started with an online invitation from Babeu for the two to get together, he says, turned into not only a personal relationship but a professional one. Since taking office in 2017, Lamb has become the face of a new online streaming service called the American Sheriff Network and of a nonprofit coalition of sheriffs called Protect America Now; he also founded a charity, the American Sheriff Foundation. Contact. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. . But ABC15 remains unable to confirm Gaffney's statement. Orozco says he complied but that Babeu and his attorney also wanted Orozco to sign a document that would bind him legally to keep silent about the relationship. 2023 www.azcentral.com. According to sources with knowledge of the interviews, agents have asked about Sheriff Babeus use of a non-profit foundation run by some PCSO employees that received hundreds of thousands of dollars in funds that come from this seized criminal money. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. Lamb said he had no opinion on the AG's decision not to prosecuteBabeu and Voyles. The sheriff at the time, Paul Babeu, had faced a series of scandals, including an affair with a man who alleged Babeu had threatened to deport him if he exposed their relationship. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. For example, nearly $88,000 went to programs designed to boost morale or provide recreation for the Sheriff's Office such as golf outings or tickets to sporting events and banquets. Congressman and have endorsed one of his rivals for the GOP primary in Arizona's First. Babeu is vice president of the Arizona Sheriffs' Association[15] and was named the National Sheriff of the Year in 2011 by the National Sheriffs' Association. | On October 23, 2011, Babeu announced the formation of an exploratory committee to run for U.S. Congress in what would become Arizona's newly redrawn 4th congressional district. | and you didn't care.". The groups website lists seven additional sheriffs at least five of whom have been accused of some form of misconduct as advisory committee members. The school closed in 2004, following the death of its founder Michael DeSisto. The following February, Jose Orozco, who was an undocumented immigrant, claimed that Babeu and Orozco had been lovers since meeting in 2006 on an online dating site. February 2, 2017 Gaffney points to Karns' past support of Babeu, including a letter he wrote recommending Babeu for the National Sheriff of the Year Award, and an e-mail commending Babeu for his leadership and stance on arming school administrators in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. A notice of claim -- a precursor to a lawsuit -- usually is filled with enough details to establish the basis for a lawsuit, and probably would reveal details about this fresh rift between Karns and Babeu, seemingly one-time allies. Ive never had a desire to run for Senate or Congress, Lamb told me at the caf in Florence, before adding, Im a patriot at heart. Doug Barrett for POLITICO, Lamb went through a variety of jobs, including running a paintball business in Utah that ultimately failed. Orozco admits that he lashed out on news websites featuring stories about Babeu. He wears Wranglers, worn cowboy boots, a black shirt with rolled sleeves, a fully loaded tactical vest and a brown leather belt with Sheriff Lamb embossed across the back. It was the month after the insurrection, with Joe Biden in the White House and Democrats in the majority in Congress, that Lamb announced the launch of Protect America Now, his new coalition of currently serving sheriffs Lamb calls them patriots with a stated mission of educating Americans about how our Sheriffs and the law enforcement community are standing for our Constitution and law and order. Its mostly a messaging operation: The group runs ads and has written letters to the Biden administration. In the open primary, Babeu ranked first but failed to reach the 50% threshold. He insists he doesnt have political ambitions beyond the sheriffs office, though. We dont go to a shooting range as much as an open, sandy field that Lamb says belongs to a friend of his. February 16, 2012 BABEU: Clearly theres a disconnect with the federal government enforcing the law, doing their job and what were doing on the ground. private school led by Babeu", "Massachusetts Office of Child Care Services vs DeSisto School Inc and A. Michael Desisto", "Documents: Babeu ran private boarding school with history of physical abuse", "Pinal County 2008 General Election Results", "Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu Elected to Second Term as President of Arizona Sheriff's Association", "Paul Babeu named 2011 Sheriff of the Year", "Senators McCain and Kyl Announce Border Security Plan", "Joe Arpaio aide investigation finished by Babeu", "Pinal Sheriff's Office stockpiles, prepares to sell military equipment", "Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission", "Paul Babeu's Mexican Ex-Lover Says Sheriff's Attorney Threatened Him With Deportation (, "Babeu bombshell: Gay relationship & deportation threats, report says", "Arizona Sheriff Paul Babeu Angrily Denies Ex-Boyfriend's Accusations", "Will recent allegations damage Babeu's political future? [27], Babeu dropped his congressional bid on May 11, 2012; instead he sought re-election as sheriff. ABC15 has learned agents in the FBI . A spokesperson for the NSA told me that, while the code of ethics is the basis of an organizational creed, sheriffs generally rely on their state laws for legal guidance. Former sheriffs Joe Arpaio and David Clarke, along with an estimated 138 currently serving sheriffs, are self-declared adherents of the philosophy, which evolved out of the white nationalist, anti-Semitic movement known as posse comitatus, meaning the power of the county. Lamb, although he spoke at a convention for constitutional sheriffs last year and says he appreciate[s] those guys standing up for the rule of law, the Constitution and freedom, doesnt call himself a constitutional sheriff. The subpoena seeks eight years of files, spreadsheets, accounting documents, emails and any other internal records concerning RICO funds from 2008 to 2016, when Babeu was in office. Lamb often invokes the importance of the rule of law but says of the Jan. 6 rioters, I guarantee you those people are very loving, Christian people. Typically, county employees have the right to appeal any discipline they receive to the Pinal County Merit System Commission, a five-member board that can uphold, modify, or overturn county officials' decisions. But in a solidly conservative part of Arizona, Lamb so far has had plenty of leeway for more and more activities outside the county. The National Sheriffs Association, of which Lamb is a member, has a model code of ethics for sheriffs that prohibits using the office for private gain, among other things. Help us fight for you and support local journalism.Subscribe to azcentral.com today. After the relationship ended, Orozco claims that Babeu threatened Orozco with deportation to guarantee his silence. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, he publicly resisted Arizonas mask mandates and stay-at-home orders before catching Covid himself last year, which he discovered when he was denied entry to the White House for a meeting with Trump. For example, Lamb, an ardent defender of the Second Amendment, has spoken in support of the formation of private militias well within the Constitution, he told a group of supporters in March and emphasized the power of sheriffs in Arizona, an open-carry state, to call local civilians into service to suppress all affrays, insurrections and riots that comes to the attention of the sheriff. Last year, as Black Lives Matter protests swept across the country, he formed a local civilian posse to assist his office with law enforcement, even though there were no such protests in Pinal County. . including yourself & your family. This month, he also was a featured speaker alongside Clarke, the former Milwaukee sheriff, and others at the American Priority Conference, a far-right convening held at Trumps resort in Miami. He graduated from the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy as the #1 overall police recruit and was voted by his fellow officers as the class exemplary officer. She says she spoke directly to the sheriff's lawyer, DeRose, about the Babeu camp's threats that Orozco could be deported if he "revealed the relationship." ", (After this story was published online February 17, Babeu and DeRose denied Orozco and his lawyer's threat-of-deportation allegations, and under pressure the sheriff came out as a gay man and admitted that he'd had an affair with Orozco. DENNIS LAMBERT: The sheriff says he's running for re-election to continue the programs he began four years ago, and because of problems with the candidacy of the man he wanted to replace him, his Chief Deputy Steve Henry. Any money left over must be returned. Sheriffs in almost every state operate independently with limited oversight, giving them the freedom to engage in political advocacy and appear in the media. The spokesperson also took time to praise Lambs messaging skills, calling him a unicorn., Lamb stands in front of a memorial to honor fallen sheriffs in Pinal County. Doug Barrett for POLITICO. | Gaffney did not identify the other Sheriffs Office or the FBIs top level supervisor. Today its closer to 100, and a faint whisp of cloud floats in the sky, daring itself to cover the blazing sun. When their relationship soured, Orozco claimed Babeu had threatened to have him deported unless he signed a contract swearing him to secrecy. And he still believes there was, as he put it to me, a significant amount of concerning information about the integrity of the election. He asked the auditor general to recommend the best way to use those funds. Lambs first law enforcement job was with the Salt River Police Department in neighboring Maricopa County beginning in 2006. Thank you for your inquiry, as you know we cannot confirm or deny the existence of investigations, said FBI Special Agent Matthew Reinsmoen. The man's allegations were first published Friday in the Phoenix New Times, an alternative weekly magazine. Karns tells Babeu that his proposal ensures that if command staff doesn't "bow and accede" to his "every wish and desire, they face termination." Sheriff Paul Babeu, President of the Arizona Sheriff's Association and the National Sheriff of the Year, is Arizona's youngest Sheriff and leads the third largest Sheriff's Office in the state with 700 full-time employees. Photos by Doug Barrett/@400northcreative for Politico Magazine. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Vale declined to say anything else about the company or provide any details about funding, revenue or viewership. Records show Babeu spent more than $53,000 to send 25 people to a weeklong conference in St. Louis at which he received a national award. [14] Babeu was reelected in 2012 with 53.3% of the votes, winning out over Democrat and independent candidates. [31] On August 30, 2016, Babeu was declared the winner of the Republican primary. ", DeRose wrote: "If you are serious about an amicable resolution to this, it is critical that no further offensive actions against my client be taken in the meantime. Another patron of the diner walked by. The subpoena comes on the heels of an FBI probe of Babeu and former Pinal County Attorney Lando Voyles and whether they inappropriately used profits from seized property for personal and professional expenses. The FBI is asking new questions about Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu and his offices use of seized criminal money. Lately, Lamb has been supporting the campaign of Kari Lake, a Trump-endorsed former Fox anchor running for Arizonas open governors seat in 2022. Fight Night: How Phoenix Became a Hotbed for Mixed Martial Arts Champions, Super Fans, Mascot Mania, and All-Stars: Suns and Nuggets Get Ready to Rumble, Katie Hobbs Gets Singed After Unwrapping Tamale-tastrophe, New Attainable Not Necessarily Affordable Housing Coming to Downtown Phoenix, I Love the Rivalry: Fans Soak Up U.S.-Mexico Soccer Showdown in the Valley. See additional photos from text-messages between Sheriff Babeu and his ex-lover. Fight Night: How Phoenix Became a Hotbed for Mixed Martial Arts Champions, Super Fans, Mascot Mania, and All-Stars: Suns and Nuggets Get Ready to Rumble, Katie Hobbs Gets Singed After Unwrapping Tamale-tastrophe, New Attainable Not Necessarily Affordable Housing Coming to Downtown Phoenix, I Love the Rivalry: Fans Soak Up U.S.-Mexico Soccer Showdown in the Valley. [21] After an Arizona Republic newspaper report, the Defense Logistics Agency directed Babeu "to retrieve vehicles and other equipment his office distributed to non-police organizations".[22]. I have to protect the families of my county, even in the absence of the federal government. Join the New Times community and help support Lambs advocacy follows in the tradition of constitutional sheriffs, who for decades have propagated the idea refuted by constitutional experts that sheriffs are the supreme legal authority in America, above even the president and the Supreme Court, and that they can choose not to enforce any law they consider unconstitutional. Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu today ended his bid for Congress. (In response to the incident, Texas passed a state law that forbids law enforcement agencies from partnering with reality television shows.) The board is meeting Wednesday, and Babeu's request is on the agenda. Because sheriffs are not usually term-limited, Lamb can stay in office as long as he gets reelected, or until he decides to run for another office, as many other sheriffs have though Lamb says he is happy where he is. Babeu campaigned for the office of Pinal County Sheriff in 2008 and defeated Democratic incumbent Chris Vasquez, 54% to 46%. A federal grand jury is investigating how the Pinal County Sheriffs Office handled profits from seized property under former Sheriff Paul Babeu. Paul: No. . ", Antonio Bustamante, a criminal defense attorney and immigration activist, tells New Times that if the allegations against Babeu are true, "To use a position of authority. "He wanted his legal rights protected. [11][12], Babeu joined the Massachusetts National Guard as a 21-year-old. According to Babeu's website, "Pinal County is the number one pass through county in all of America for drug and human smuggling. Before its cancellation, Live PD was immensely popular, capturing more viewers than any other cable program on Friday and Saturday nights. Sheriffs good with me, Lamb said, looking abashed, like any good politician should. Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu denied claims he tried to threaten the man, a Mexican immigrant and a former campaign volunteer, with deportation if their past relationship was made public. Forfeiture money paid for Voyles' personal security system, retirement contributions of employees in his office and fundraising for the Sheriff's Office, according to the lawsuit. The pandemic has given Lamb, like much of the GOP, a new pet cause. Pinal County Sheriff's Office Captain Jeffrey Karns, who retired today, lambasted Sheriff Paul Babeu in an e-mail he sent not only to Babeu, but to all PCSO staff. Stephen is a former staff writer and columnist at, Become a member to support the independent voice of Phoenix In July, the American Civil Liberties Union and international law firm Perkins Coie jointly filed a lawsuitagainst the Pinal County Sheriffs Office and the Pinal County Attorneys Office. It will also create "a 'forever' atmosphere of constant nagging-fear, constant tension, and constant stress, worrying if today is the day Paul terminates me," he writes. [13] He was the first Republican sheriff elected in the history of the county (founded in 1875). [5], At age 17, while still in high school, Babeu campaigned against a proposed raise for North Adams, Massachusetts, City Council members. In cases where money is distributed in advance, recipients must show it was used for the specific request. "We're doing the best we can," Lamb said. and make legal threats opens a Pandora's box of ethics issues for any law enforcement person or any elected person. (Many job-safety rankings consider being a roofer more dangerous than being a police officer.). "Albeit it is important to note that I will not seek one dime more than what I lost, since that is the only fair thing to do.". While Lamb has gotten more and more scrutiny in Arizona, he has mostly brushed it off. But now Reveles is among those Pinal County residents who say Lambs involvement in politics and entertainment has gone too far, distracting him from the job he was elected to do and perhaps even influencing how he does it.
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