. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. Devin Burghart, who runs the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, which analyzes far-right social movements, says understanding sheriffs like Lamb is important in the long-term fight for democracy. Researcher Cloee Cooper said Lambs highly politicized approach to his job is ultimately undermining a safe and just society. Asked about how supporters might interpret his anti-government messaging, Lamb told me, Im a very pro-freedom person. Contact ABC15 Investigator Dave Biscobing at dbiscobing@abc15.com. Paul Babeu was a 2016 Republican candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 1st Congressional District of Arizona. [1] In 1992, Babeu was elected to a four-year term as a Berkshire County, Massachusetts, commissioner. Babeu first mentioned the alleged crimes on Saturday, when he held a press conference to discuss Jose's allegations. Both could face federal criminal charges. Super Fans, Mascot Mania, and All-Stars: Suns and Nuggets Get Ready to Rumble, Katie Hobbs Gets Singed After Unwrapping Tamale-tastrophe, Fight Night: How Phoenix Became a Hotbed for Mixed Martial Arts Champions, 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. Foundation Executive Director Joseph Trasser has declined to discuss the subpoena and in March said the FBI probe of Babeu and Voyles "is not our issue.". There are restrictions about how these funds can be used. ", Babeu: "You have crossed the line. FBI probe of Babeu and former Pinal County Attorney Lando Voyles. 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. He Calls Himself the 'American Sheriff.' Whose Law Is He Following? Doug Ducey in 2017 signed a lawto increase oversight ofRICO expenditures and give people a better ability to challengeforfeiture laws. Before its cancellation, Live PD was immensely popular, capturing more viewers than any other cable program on Friday and Saturday nights. Lamb loves it. The council reduced the pay hike and Babeu, running as an independent, turned his effort into a successful campaign and was elected to City Council at the age of 18. this is no good. true. But Orozco suspected Babeu was lying. Ultimately, many residents of Pinal County, which voted 58 percent for Trump in 2020, align politically with Lamb. Babeau said he intended to balance the department's budget by auctioning the equipment. He insists he doesnt have political ambitions beyond the sheriffs office, though. Paul Babeu, Pinal County Sheriff, Lambasted by Newly-Retired PCSO Auditors said Babeu and Voyles also sent$683,406 to a nonprofit called the Arizona Public Safety Foundationmanaged by members of the sheriff's staff, a potential violation ofconflict-of-interest laws. Lamb supported the stop the steal campaign in Arizona and has expressed sympathy for the Jan. 6 rioters. . Babeu and Voyles this month demanded an apology from Volkmer, Questions about the foundation also were raised in a 2015 federal lawsuit, Babeu spent more than $53,000 to send 25 people to a weeklong conference in St. Louis, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. (A federal judge later found Arpaio in criminal contempt of a court order to stop racially profiling Latino residents, but Trump later pardoned him.) The Arizona Attorney General's Office said Wednesday it would not prosecute former Sheriff Paul Babeu and former County Attorney Lando Voyles for what it described as "eyebrow-raising". See also: Babeu Turns Distortion of Truth Into an Art Form Lamb is a frequent talking head on Fox News and Newsmax, where he derides President Joe Bidens and Vice President Kamala Harris handling of immigration, and he has spoken at political events like a Turning Point Action summit a few months ago in Phoenix, where he quoted Shakespeare and Thomas Paine (Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered) and promised, The sheriffs are going to hold the line., Sheriff Mark Lamb has jurisdiction over Pinal County, a stretch of desert wedged between Phoenix and Tucson thats home to about 500,000 people. "There wasdefinitely sloppy record-keeping and a lack of checks and balances," Ryan Anderson, the AG's director of communications, said. On Jan. 6, the day rioters stormed the Capitol in Washington, Lamb appeared at a rally in Phoenix to protest the presidential election results. and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. Orozco says he met Babeu in October 2006 on gay.com, a dating website. The former U.S. serviceman turned law enforcement officer, who by all accounts has lived an exemplary life, has a blaringly obvious blindside. Burghart says the distinction between the two groups might be more about style that Protect America Now is taking a slicker, more palatable approach, with a much better sense of PR than Mack and his crowd.. 2023 www.azcentral.com. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. The new FBI interviews are the latest issue to hit Babeu as he attempts a second run for Congress. If it doesnt benefit Pinal County, I dont need to be on the news, he said at the time. Sheriff Babeu won his first term in a landslide election victory in 2008 over the incumbent Sheriff. and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. Another $63,772 distributed from the foundation went to public service announcements for both offices. A September 4, 2011, text from the sheriff reads: "You can never have business after this and you will harm me and many others in the process. 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. During a July interview at a local caf here decked out in Old West paraphernalia, passersby interrupted to clasp hands heartily with him and chat. Descended from a long line of Mormons and still an unabashed member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he grew up all over the world, he is fond of saying, including the Philippines, Panama and Argentina, where he did his Mormon mission. Lamb, 49, has jurisdiction over only Arizonas third most populous county, a stretch of desert wedged between Phoenix and Tucson thats home to about 500,000 people. That morning I came home, and I told my wife I was gonna be a cop, he concluded. Theres no question Lamb is a performer, but his calls to citizen action worry experts who see a segment of American law enforcement becoming a power base of its own one that could further undermine trust in government authority. 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. local news and culture, Stephen Lemons "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.". Paul Babeu was the tenth of eleven children born into the family. (FAIR has dismissed the characterization, calling the SPLC a partisan attack dog.) Earlier this summer, Lamb gathered some two dozen other sheriffs for a Protect America Now rally along the border in Arizona, where he declared, We are standing up for the Constitution, our oath and the rights of the people.. Lamb fires his service pistol, a Glock 34. [9] The school was in a long legal fight with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts over licensing, allegations of child abuse, a Commonwealth-imposed enrollment freeze, and accusations of failing to create a safe environment for its students. Karns, however, would have faced a nearly $15,000 pay cut. The man's allegations were first published Friday in the Phoenix New Times, an alternative weekly magazine. (In the two weeks after a police officer killed George Floyd in Minneapolis last year, some 10,000 protesters were arrested around the country, compared with about 600 Jan. 6 rioters so far.) The 34-year-old from central Mexico charges that the sheriff's lawyer warned against mentioning the affair with Babeu. Pinal County Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Navideh Forghani said Friday that the sheriff already has complied with the demand and has turned over the records. (There is not, according to multiple courts; an audit in Arizona also reaffirmed Bidens victory there.) Questions about the foundation also were raised in a 2015 federal lawsuit by attorneys from Perkins Coie and the American Civil Liberties Union. It would be an inappropriate use of already-limited resources to prosecute Orozco for a misdemeanor. Out of five Pinal County supervisors, only one, Serdy, a Republican, would comment on the record about Lamb, telling me over the phone, As long as the job is being done, then we support [his other work]. Lamb argues his outside activities help him bring in new recruits. . They are watching a movie . Records show Babeu spent more than $53,000 to send 25 people to a weeklong conference in St. Louis at which he . RICO refers to the anti-racketeering laws that give authorities wide latitudeto seize assets in criminal cases even if charges are not filed and then fund operations with the proceeds. When reached Tuesday, a spokesman declined to comment. 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. and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. [29], On August 31, 2012, the Arizona solicitor general exonerated Babeu after an investigation. Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, for TV commercials featuring that damning home video. 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. Compared with climbing on roofs all day to pick up bird poop, he says, law enforcement seemed safer. Papi. Forfeiture laws, in general, created a multimillion-dollar "slush fund available to (law enforcement) with little or no oversight," the lawsuit said. Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu today ended his bid for Congress. While he is gaining national attention, its not clear yet whether Lamb will become the law enforcement equivalent of, say, Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) or Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), but its plain that he has a similar commitment to Trumpism and desire for the spotlight, in Arizona and increasingly elsewhere. They said he accused them of criminal conduct. Karns, promoted to captain in 2002, writes that Babeu's move is about gaining for himself "total and complete control and support, operationally and politically.". Sheriff Paul Babeu of Pinal County Arizona has emerged as a Republican face for tougher US-Mexico border security. Become a member to support the independent voice of Phoenix "[30], Babeu ran for Arizona's 1st congressional district in the 2016 elections. Records showBabeu spent more than $53,000 to send 25 people to a weeklong conference in St. Louisat which he received a national award. Babeu was tapping RICO funds to pay for Sheriff's Office travel as early as 2011. Im just speaking . Initially, Lamb worked in pest control, with a focus on pigeons. The decision comes months after state auditors found Babeu and Voyles mismanaged more than $2 million in so-called racketeering, or RICO,funds. It could be the Justin cowboy hat he wears pulled low over his eyes and his penchant for Western shirts and a tactical vest in lieu of a uniform. Lamb chalked that up to an accountants error. A three-member committee made up of a detention officer, a sheriff's sergeant and a civilian review all requests for RICO funds. Today its closer to 100, and a faint whisp of cloud floats in the sky, daring itself to cover the blazing sun. Pinal CountySheriff Mark Lamb said Wednesday that RICO funds no longer serve as a slush fund. You can actually effect change as the sheriff, he says. Voyles maintained that he implemented proper controls to ensure RICO funds were not misspent and pointed to audits conducted by the county, the Arizona Attorney Generals Office and the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. | Babeu isa Republican who made border security a top issue in his two losing attempts to win a seat in Congress. 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." Join the New Times community and help support [7], In 1997, he ran for mayor of North Adams against incumbent Democrat John Barrett III. In this case, he's both.". There were middle-aged women with salon-styled hair hoping to take their picture with him. On his person, Lamb has a 9mm Glock pistol, plus a long knife, a taser, handcuffs and extra ammunition.