Pinal County attorney disputes predecessor’s claim that he looked into Mark Lamb allegations

An internal review by the Pinal County Attorney’s Office found no records that former County Attorney Kent Volkmer ever investigated allegations of sexual misconduct against former Sheriff Mark Lamb.

This comes despite Volkmer’s public statements that his office performed a “cursory investigation.”

The review, ordered by current County Attorney Brad Miller, turned up no reports, investigative summaries, witness interviews, conflict-of-interest referrals or documented findings of any kind, according to a statement from the attorney’s office Friday.

“Even a limited or ‘cursory’ investigation would ordinarily generate some form of documentation or investigative notes,” the office said in the statement. “At this time, the PCAO has not located any such records in its files.”

Lamb sought charges against accusers, not scrutiny of himself

The findings add a new layer to an episode first detailed in an Arizona Republic investigation into Lamb, the two-term Pinal County sheriff who is a candidate in the race for Arizona’s 5th Congressional District.

Volkmer told the Republic that it was Lamb who approached his office, not to invite scrutiny of himself, but to ask prosecutors to “explore” criminal harassment charges against two women, Jessica Peacock and Jenna Stannard, who posted on social media about Lamb’s conduct.

Miller’s review found no records, not even of that narrow, accuser-focused inquiry.

Growing political fallout

The disclosure lands as Lamb faces mounting pressure from fellow Republicans.

U.S. Congressman David Schweikert, who is currently running for governor, said if Lamb isn’t willing to address the situation head-on, he should drop out of the race.

“You will find voters can be remarkably forgiving, but you gotta explain,” Schweikert told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

Former U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake called the threats against accusers “an abuse of power.”

“It’s more than concerning. It’s disqualifying,” he told the Arizona Daily Star.

Polling conducted before the investigation was published showed Lamb with a commanding lead over Daniel Keenan, his primary opponent.

Although the Clean Elections Commission invited Lamb to debate Keenan on Thursday, the former sheriff declined to participate.

That left Keenan alone onstage, where he criticized Lamb and called the allegations “disqualifying behavior” and an “embarrassment” to the Republican Party.

Lamb’s campaign has largely declined to comment. His wife, Janel Lamb, dismissed the stories as a “massive smear campaign” in a Facebook post.

“Politics can be dark and ugly, but if you know us, that’s not how we roll. The only way to dispel darkness is not with more darkness, only light,” she wrote. “A massive smear campaign is certainly not going to stop us from doing what we know is right.”

The Republican primary is July 21, with early voting beginning June 24.

Miller says elected officials are ‘not entitled to a different standard’

Miller said the absence of any documentation is cause for concern about previous county officials.

“Public officials are not entitled to a different standard of review because they are politically connected, personally popular or institutionally protected,” according to the statement from Miller’s office. “Allegations involving elected leadership demand greater scrutiny not less.”

KTAR News 92.3 FM reached out to Mark Lamb, the Lamb campaign and Volkmer and did not receive a response.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Kevin Stone contributed to this report.

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