and last updated 5:01 AM, Mar 30, 2016. Congress. Babeu and Voyles this month demanded an apology from Volkmer, saying he unfairly maligned them and subjected them to disparaging statements over the use of RICO funds. But his interpretation of the phrase generally implies opposition to whatever rules or laws he deems overly intrusive. Babeu camp attacks sister over new allegations (updated) When their relationship soured, Orozco claimed Babeu had threatened to have him deported unless he signed a contract swearing him to secrecy. Today its closer to 100, and a faint whisp of cloud floats in the sky, daring itself to cover the blazing sun. One Instagram post from his account reads, No vaccine, no mask..I did test positive though for Americanitis! underneath a photo of Lamb leaning back on a bench and smiling. local news and culture. But in a solidly conservative part of Arizona, Lamb so far has had plenty of leeway for more and more activities outside the county. Orozco says he created and maintained Babeu's campaign websites, his Facebook page, and his Twitter account. Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu denied claims he tried to threaten the man, a Mexican immigrant and a former campaign volunteer, with deportation if their past relationship was made public. Two of Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu's Sisters Endorse His Rival "We're doing the best we can," Lamb said. Senate. He was Pinal County's first Republican sheriff.[2]. The subpoena seeks eight years of files, spreadsheets, accounting documents, emails and any other internal records concerning RICO funds from 2008 to 2016, when Babeu was in office. Orozco says Babeu told him that he loved him and was with him exclusively. The board is meeting Wednesday, and Babeu's request is on the agenda. Lamb said a recent major request involved $50,000 to pay for computer equipment that will allow investigators to download large amounts of data from cell phones, laptops and other electronic devices without inhibiting use. Its not clear if the FBI has opened an official case. While Lamb has gotten more and more scrutiny in Arizona, he has mostly brushed it off. Questions about the foundation also were raised in a 2015 federal lawsuitby attorneys from Perkins Coie and the American Civil Liberties Union. Please dont. 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". Forfeiture laws, in general, created a multimillion-dollar "slush fund available to (law enforcement) with little or no oversight," the lawsuit said. BABEU: Clearly theres a disconnect with the federal government enforcing the law, doing their job and what were doing on the ground. The foundation used RICO funds from Pinal County to help support Sheriff's Office activities and functions. Agents also approached the County Attorney's Office about financial records kept by Voyles, who oversaw and approved expenditures of the funds. (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.) Republican Sheriff Paul Babeu, Outed as Gay by Ex-Lover, Running Again Building off his social media popularity he has more than 300,000 Facebook followers, high for a sheriff and his desire to elevate law enforcement, this past May he announced the launch of the American Sheriff Network, which for $4.99 month allows viewers to watch 10- to 20-minute segments showing sheriffs and their deputies as they respond to calls for service a mix of sheriff propaganda and reality television. If hes re-elected as sheriff, Babeu says he plans to continue to battle drug trafficking in the county. In the open primary, Babeu ranked first but failed to reach the 50% threshold. . Lamb, too, is on the advisory committee, but hes also the groups most prominent public representative. Explaining their use of RICO funds, Gaffney also said, Any request for RICO Funding by our office as you are aware has to be submitted in writing to either the County Attorneys Office if it is State RICO Funds.. (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.. local news and culture, Monica Alonzo Lamb says the new network is important because we just felt like it was important to give [sheriffs] their voice back. When I asked if Lamb was concerned about a repeat of what happened in Texas, Vale dismissed it saying that lots of things are out of [the sheriffs] control. One episode features deputies tasing new recruits as part of their training, and watching as they scream pain. A group of kids gathered around Lambs truck for sheriff-branded stickers. [16] Babeu led the third largest sheriff's office in Arizona with 700 full-time employees. The audit found that for 39 of 82 awards reviewed, the county could not provide an application or written proposal from the organization that received the money. If approved, the change effectively would strip those affected PCSO employees, primarily PCSO lieutenants, of their ability to appeal to a review board any decision Babeu made to discipline or terminate them. Of the total amount awarded to the foundation over the three years, $230,000 was initiated by Babeu or one of his employees, the audit found. It will also create "a 'forever' atmosphere of constant nagging-fear, constant tension, and constant stress, worrying if today is the day Paul terminates me," he writes. Brandon Bell/Getty Images. Informed of the situation, Nancy-Jo Merritt, a longtime Phoenix immigration attorney, says a threat of deportation would be indicative of an "atmosphere that's been created politically in this state, so that if you get angry at someone who is Hispanic, you immediately jump down to the level of threatening to deport him. We dont go to a shooting range as much as an open, sandy field that Lamb says belongs to a friend of his. The FBI is asking new questions about Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu and his offices use of seized criminal money. This month, he also was a featured speaker alongside Clarke, the former Milwaukee sheriff, and others at the American Priority Conference, a far-right convening held at Trumps resort in Miami. "Jose came to our firm because he felt he was being intimidated, and he was in fear for his life," Weiss-Riner says. And I will serve the people where I can.. After the relationship ended, Orozco claims that Babeu threatened Orozco with deportation to guarantee his silence. "One of the reasons is that record-keeping was so poor.". for 1+3, enter 4. Gaffney did not identify the other Sheriffs Office or the FBIs top level supervisor. Personal website. 2023 www.azcentral.com. Lamb says he was always interested in guns but didnt plan for a law enforcement career. ABC15 has learned agents in the FBI . [11][12], Babeu joined the Massachusetts National Guard as a 21-year-old. Orozco says he complied but that Babeu and his attorney also wanted Orozco to sign a document that would bind him legally to keep silent about the relationship. Lamb loves it. Paul Babeu, Outed GOP Candidate, On Same-Sex Marriage: 'You Can't local news and culture, Stephen Lemons independent local journalism in Phoenix. Protect America Now is new enough that its tax filings have not yet been made public, but Vale told me Lamb does not get paid by the group, outside reimbursements for expenses. He flashes a Hollywood smile as he talks about the shine on the badge. Many of the episodes are filmed in a low-budget style and feature Lamb as a guide, introducing viewers to other sheriffs in Nevada and Arizona. Wont work. He also argues the mob that overtook the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 was more heavily policed than the Black Lives Matter movement. KJZZ is a service of Rio Salado College, and Maricopa Community Colleges Orozco claimed that Babeu had known that he was an illegal alien while they were lovers, at odds with Babeu's views on immigration policy. Paul Babeu - Ballotpedia Sources said agents also are interested in whether Babeu and other staff used any RICO funds or other public resources for campaign purposes since Babeu is currently running for Congress. Next door in Pinal County, Lamb embraced Arpaios anti-immigrant bent; before long he appeared, sure enough, on Fox News to talk about the border crisis (though Pinal County is not on the U.S.-Mexico border), and deployed officers and equipment to help federal authorities with immigration enforcement. The FBI issued a subpoena last year to the Arizona Public Safety Foundation, which for years operated out of the Sheriff's Office and was staffed by sheriff's deputies. Photos by Doug Barrett/@400northcreative for Politico Magazine. Contact ABC15 Investigator Dave Biscobing at dbiscobing@abc15.com. Better get an attorney. Babeu could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. [1][6], Babeu served as headmaster and later as executive director the DeSisto School in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, a school for troubled youths, from 1999 to 2001. Paul Babeu, Pinal County Sheriff, Lambasted by Newly-Retired PCSO The sheriff denies funding was a problem, saying he raised more money in his 4th District congressional bid than either of his opponents. Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu on gay marriage: "You can't legislate A notice of claim -- a precursor to a lawsuit -- usually is filled with enough details to establish the basis for a lawsuit, and probably would reveal details about this fresh rift between Karns and Babeu, seemingly one-time allies. Charismatic and ambitious, Mark Lamb embodies a new kind of Trump-era lawman. The spokesman confirmed that Babeu would continue to run for U.S. [5], At age 17, while still in high school, Babeu campaigned against a proposed raise for North Adams, Massachusetts, City Council members. [14] Babeu was reelected in 2012 with 53.3% of the votes, winning out over Democrat and independent candidates. Paul Babeu says "drugs and stuff like that." Note: The following comments begin 1:00 into the clip. In this case, he's both.". Kennedy pointed to the provision about private gain, as well as one requiring equal protection of all citizens, without allowing personal opinion, party affiliations, or consideration of the status of others to alter or lessen this standard of treatment., Asked to respond, Vale said Lamb keeps a strict division between his work as the Pinal County sheriff and his image as the American Sheriff. Vale added, All of his activities, both as sheriff and in his private time, are vetted through the [Pinal] County attorney. The attorney, Kent Volkmer, told me Lamb has consulted with him, including on Protect America Now and the American Sheriff Network, but said he does not review every single appearance Lamb makes outside his capacity as sheriff. Privacy Policy | FCC Public File | Contest Rules 6:00AM. All but a fraction of the foundation's money came from Pinal County's RICO fund, and the money was used to buy items such as automatic weapons for deputies, supplies, police dogs, horses and feed, according to the lawsuit. Pinal County Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Navideh Forghani said Friday that the sheriff already has complied with the demand and has turned over the records. While some Pinal County residents say Lambs involvement in politics and entertainment has gone too far, the county voted overwhelmingly to reelect him last year.
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