Joe Arpaio files defamation complaint against CNN, other media

PHOENIX – Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has filed a defamation complaint against several media companies, including CNN and Rolling Stone magazine, and was seeking at least $300,000 in damages.

The complaint was filed Monday night in federal court in Washington, D.C.

The suit said the outlets had depicted Arpaio in a “false light” by repeatedly referring to him as convicted felon.

“I’m very disgusted with some of the media — defamation — calling me a convicted felon, that I went to prison. I’m ready to fight back,” Arpaio told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Tuesday.

The paperwork said that on or about Jan. 10, 2018, the cable news network referred to Arpaio as a “convicted felon.”

Arpaio was found guilty of misdemeanor contempt in July 2017 when he continued his immigration sweeps for over a year after a judge ordered him to stop.

President Donald Trump pardoned Arpaio the next month.

Arpaio, 86, also sued the New York Times for libel in October, saying the newspaper defamed him in an opinion piece.

“There’s more to come,” Arpaio said.

“There’s a lot of bias against this sheriff.”

Huffington Post, and CNN executive Jeff Zukcer and anchor Chris Cuomo were also named.

A Huffington Post article, said that Arpaio had been “sent to prison for contempt of court.”

Rolling Stone, the suit said, called Arpaio an ex-felon.

“(We’ll) see what happens,” Arpaio said.

“Even if they apologize, so what? The word is out … they can’t take it back.”

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Jeremy Foster contributed to this report.

Joe Arpaio files defamation complaint against CNN, other media by Jessica Suerth on Scribd

Follow @KTAR923