The U.S. Attorney’s Office has dropped its investigation into Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
The Arizona Republic reports:
Scheel wrote that the agency declined to initiate any state criminal charges arising from its broader appointment to pursue state charges that may have come up in connection with the federal investigation. Several federal attorneys had been deputized to handle state crimes arising from the investigation.
“Law enforcement officials are rightfully afforded a wide swath of discretion in deciding how to conduct investigations and prosecutions,” she wrote. “Unfortunately, such discretion can act as a double-edged sword: although it empowers fair-minded prosecutors and investigators to discharge their duties effectively, it also affords potential for abuse. Our limited role is to determine whether criminal charges are supportable. After careful review, we do not believe the allegations presented to us are prosecutable as crimes.”
Ray Stern at Phoenix New Times is disappointed:
That’s it.
Game over. No more wondering if the feds are going to haul Arpaio off for whatever crimes he may have committed.
Do we think a criminal case could have been made? You know it.
From arresting New Times executives at night under bogus pretenses to entering into an “unholy collaboration” with Andrew Thomas (who was disbarred for his unethical actions) to blatently targeting of political enemies to his “I was duped” remark about his former chief deputy’s alleged crimes, Arpaio hasn’t been held accountable by anyone.
Especially voters, who appear poised to re-elect him to a sixth term.
Nick R. Martin at Talking Points Memo notes:
Meanwhile, the Justice Department’s civil case against Arpaio continues. Earlier this year, the department’s Civil Rights Division sued the sheriff and his agency, alleging widespread abuse and profiling of Latinos. A department spokesperson told TPM late Friday that case was still ongoing.
This article appears in Aug 30 – Sep 5, 2012.
Liberal crickets. Can you hear them?
Arpaio must be using Sherriff Dept. funds AGAIN to pay off someone!!
good just cuz he know his shit n they dont like keep up the good work joe
If Sheriff Joe Arpaio, was actually doing his job, as he claims he is, he would be subject to the same type of ridicule as Pima county Sheriff, Dupnik. Arpaio’s recipe for success, and fame can be credited only to the two following ingredients, hate and racism. If the Sheriff failed to do his job adequately and failed to fill the appetite of his constituents with a daily portion, there would be several individuals in the state of Arizona, fully qualified to fill his position.
we should work to take the vote away from anyone over 100, then the voters won’t elect someone who screws everyone with a lifestyle a half century away..
Gooo Joe!!!
Quote :
M.Z.: I find it very troubling that Americans have become so desensitized to criminal action in this country. We are a nation of laws, yet these laws are being violated on a massive scale in all areas of society and we don’t seem to care as much as we should. The examples are endless, from Washington to Wall Street to everyday life. In Arizona we have a massive illegal immigration problem where the rights of average Americans are violated and border patrol guards are risking their lives everyday. Yet our government is just letting it happen while protecting and even rewarding those who enter our country illegally. As we approach the election season, millions of Americans are contemplating reelecting a president whose birth certificate has been proven to be a total forgery. This is a scandal much bigger than Watergate, yet most Americans don’t seem to be care enough to find out. This is not the America our Founding Fathers had in mind.
Da Real, if I were you, I wouldn’t source anything (not even direct interviews) from a website that features claims about 1) 9/11 truthers and 2) the moon landing being faked.
Also, for the record, that quote was from Mike Zullo, a member of Arpaio’s Cold Case Posse, who claims to have cracked the case that Obama was not born in America.
The Obama Justice Department has gone out of their way to try to nail Arpaio with something–anything, anything at all. The fact that with all of their resources they weren’t able to do it speaks volumes on behalf of the sheriff. Taxpayers should be very angry to see their hard earned money wasted this way.
The Obama “Justice” Department under Eric Holder is a blind dog with no teeth. Their failure to indict anyone of the Banksters responsible for the 2008 meltdown of the U.S. economy is a sterling example. I suspect the decision to drop the Arpaio case is an example of more of the same, based more on political expediency during an election year than the actual prosecutorial merits of the case.
I am a lifelong Democrat, but the limp-wristed application of justice by the Obama administration has been, in my opinion, a major failure of his tenure in office. I don’t, by the way, have any illusions that a Republican administration would have been superior.
An excellent decision – from someone who has a fraudulent birth certificate (NYC). RH
“Human rights”, are one of the most important values this country has and “Sheriff Joe” seems to just walk all over them.
Joe reminds me of Old George Wallace back in the 50’s & 60’s.
The American west has a long history of strong sheriffs who stood up against the forces of evil and lawlessness. Joe Arpaio continues this long and noble tradition. I only wish there were more like him, starting here in Pima County.