Phoenix, AZ - Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio today announced that the Department of Justice Office of Public Integrity in Washington, D.C. has agreed to review allegations of corruption involving the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and judicial officials and others. Investigative files containing evidence of misconduct have been forwarded to federal officials.
RICO complaints previously filed by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office were formally withdrawn at noon today so as not to duplicate or hinder the Department of Justice review or any additional investigation necessary.
Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Chief of Staff for the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice Robert N. Driscoll, representing Sheriff Arpaio as a plaintiff in the federal RICO action, conferred with members of the Department of Justice Office of Public Integrity relating to the allegations of corruption set forth in the RICO complaint. Federal officials have agreed to undertake a review of the Sheriff’s investigative files. The Sheriff’s Office has transferred all criminal files involving public corruption of elected and appointed officials to the Department of Justice.
Upon learning of the Department of Justice Office of Public Integrity’s willingness to review the allegations, Sheriff Arpaio and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office have determined that these matters should be handled by a federal agency focused specifically on public corruption of elected and public officials so as to ensure adequate resources to review the evidence gathered.
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“As a former long-term employee of the federal government and the Department of Justice I have great confidence that the Office of Public Integrity will do a comprehensive and thorough review of the evidence we have provided and will reach a just and fair result,” said Sheriff Arpaio.
The Sheriff’s Office, Arpaio says, will work in concert with the Office of Public Integrity and provide any support necessary.
“It should be apparent to any fair-minded person that our willingness to turn over the evidence we have gathered to this division of the Department of Justice underscores the confidence we have in the integrity of these investigations” added Arpaio.
Source Maricopa County Sheriff Office
