Arpaio done cooperating with DOJ

by Sandra Haros and Brandon Donahoo/KTAR (July 7th, 2009 @ 4:42pm)

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Comments:98

PHOENIX - Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said in a press conference Tuesday that he is done cooperating with the U.S Department of Justice's investigation of his office.

The DOJ has been investigating the sheriff's office on allegations that Arpaio and his deputies have been racially profiling the Hispanic community.

Arpaio and Washington D.C based attorney Robert Driscoll filed a request with the DOJ's Office of Professional Responsibility to investigate what appears to be a politically motivated investigation alleging the use of racial profiling by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. They are still waiting for a response to that request.

"This case puts the constitutionality of the 287g program squarely into question and is therefore incumbent upon the federal government to defend its own statutes. Instead, the federal government is choosing to go after the Sheriff's Office and the deputies who enforce their statute to the letter" Driscoll said.

The sheriff's office said the DOJ conducted unethical acts when a federal community relations employee reported that he was contacted by attorneys from the Justice Department about the case.

The sheriff says communication between his office and the federal community relations employee is protected by federal statutes.

Arpaio voiced his concerns about the ethical questionability surrounding the U.S DOJ's investigation, and he is equally troubled by the political nature of it.

"After serving with the Department of Justice for nearly 30 years as a ranking official with the Drug Enforcement Administration, it is difficult for me to ask for an investigation into the Department of Justice. However, I must take a stand and not bow down to the federal government like every other law enforcement agency that has been intimidated by investigation" Arpaio said.

Arpaio says the agency wants him to allow them free access to the entire office so they can dig around for something to make their case. He says that's not going to happen.

Last 5 Comments

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  DOJ

  Georgina M

  began this investigation based on media reports. Not one person who claims they were racially profiled even filed an official complaint to have the MCSO investigated. This is a witch hunt into what pro-immigration rallied through the media. The investigation has been going on for almost 4 months now and they have found no facts or evidence of racial profiling. now the DOJ wants to go through all files, even those not even remotely related to the case, they are grasping for straws. Technically, this violates rights of probable cause to search things which don't relate to the subject at hand. ICE does planty of similar crime sweeps like Arpaio, they just don't make the media because nobody is camped on their doorstep. Last month ICE arrested 90 CAVCO manufactured homes employees from 3 plants for immigration violations. Not one blurb on the radar for that. Pro-immigration and La Raza is pushing for this. Someone will just repkace Arpaio. The public is fed up with illegals.

  26015
• 0 Reply Abuse Vote

  Hey here's a story about what's going on

  curby13

  http://bit.ly/N0BbZ Sheriff Joe put it up on twitter. Reading it you truly learn what witch hunt this truly is.

  25889
• 0 Reply Abuse Vote

  Arpaio and DOJ

  in24n6

  I wish Sheriff Joe were the Sheriff in Southern CA! It has turned into a third world country in some areas. Trash in the streets, MX flags flown instead of the US flag, schools destroyed and speaking/teaching in Spanish, Spanish commercials on TV, hospitals closing, taxes through the roof, roads and infrastructure either destroyed or near collapse and citizens paying more and more to support the welfare state. Prison population is full of illegals. State wants to finally give the illegals to the feds so CA doesn't have to pay for them any more. Prisoners being released to address the budget shortfalls and illegal alien gang members running amok! I'll take Sheriff Joe's approach any day! Someone finally had the guts to statnd up to the open borders crowd and the politicians. Napolitano ought to be patting him on the back rather than investigating him, his officers and calling those who want sovereignty terrorists!

  25861
• 0 Reply Abuse Vote

  What Hilarious Hypocrisy

  Upon Further Review

  Let me get this straight -- the same open-borders groupies who want the U.S. government to ignore all federal immigration laws are suddenly demanding that the Department of Justice throw the book at Sheriff Joe ... even if there's no evidence to back it up? I love comments like "What are you hiding, Joe?" ... from the same people who would scream to high heaven if Sheriff Joe were to say, "Why shouldn't my officers have the right to check people's immigration status? If they're legal, what do they have to hide?" Let's face it, this isn't about racial profiling or fairness. It's about the Obama administration and their friends in La Raza trying to intimidate anybody who doesn't go along with their dirty little plan to turn tens of millions of illegals into new Democrat voters. Ah, but we know how the amnesty bill crashed and burned the last time it was introduced. When 80 percent of Americans say no to putting foreign nationals on the federal dole, it's funny how Congress suddenly takes an interest in the subject that interests them most -- their political careers.

  25828
• 0 Reply Abuse Vote

  We have a problem that requires ACTION

  EBurkeDisciple

  Regardless of what you think of Joe we have a problem with illegal immigration that is not being dealt with by our government. At this point there can be no doubt that our government, embodied by the Democrats, are complicit in encouraging this behavior because they believe it will generate more Democrat-socialis voters. Joe's methods may or may not be totally righteous but the job he is doing needs to be done and the pain he is suffering is certainly not in proportion to any misdealings, it is political. Yes, Joe, we support you in applying the law to its full extent. We don't support you if or where you are violating the law. One thing we know for sure. If you want to go after those breaking the law look to the White House and Congress. Clean up that mess if you can.

  25827
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