Posted on 01/14/2010 9:48:41 AM PST by BradtotheBone
A federal grand jury in Arizona began hearing a federal prosecutor’s allegations that the popular Maricopa County sheriff, Joe Arpaio abused his authority. Sheriff Arpaio garnered national attention with his tough immigration enforcement and, to many Americans, is known as "America's Sheriff."
The Department of Justice is investigating Sheriff Arpaio for abuse of power and his questionable conduct aimed at local officials who routinely oppose his no-nonsense brand of policing and jail managing.
Almost immediately after being installed in the White House, members of the national security team such as Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano have targeted Arpaio, who is vilified by advocates of open borders and amnesty for illegal aliens.
In 2009, Secretary Napolitano stripped Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff's Department of its federal authority to arrest suspected illegal immigrants based solely on their immigration status. Federal authorities wish to do away with local cops enforcing our nation's immigration laws.
Arpaio's deputies attended the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Training Center, in Glynco, Georgia, for training in immigration enforcement as part of their regular law enforcement and jail management duties. In addition to the DHS attempting to curtail Sheriff Arpaio's immigration enforcement activities – he states he will not stop arresting illegal aliens – Attorney General Eric Holder threatened to investigate Sheriff Arpaio and his department.
Maricopa County Manager David Smith and Deputy County Manager Sandi Wilson have been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury. They say the sheriff goes after anyone who disagrees with him, and his tactics are over the top – like raiding offices and even sending deputies to their homes at night and during weekends.
Sheriff Arpaio he won't comment on the grand jury, only that he will continue to do his job.
Arpaio has long clashed with county authorities who accuse him and his department of using "harsh anti-immigration tactics, making a national name for himself as he pushed the bounds of local immigration enforcement."
Maricopa County Manager David Smith and Deputy County Manager Sandi Wilson say they met with a federal prosecutor to discuss the case and will testify before a grand jury investigating Arpaio and his deputies.
Last month, Sheriff Arpaio and Maricopa County prosecuting attorney Andrew Thomas filed a federal racketeering lawsuit against a group of county administrators, judges and attorneys, accusing them of participating in a conspiracy to hinder an investigation into the court building and of county Supervisor Don Stapley.
Arpaio is popular for his tough jail policies. He routinely makes inmates wear pink underwear and take part in old-style chain gangs in striped uniforms and serving them bologna sandwiches.
His crime and immigration sweeps — some in heavily Hispanic areas of metropolitan Phoenix — have drawn criticism that his deputies were racially profiling people. Arpaio says people pulled over in the sweeps were approached because deputies had probable cause to believe they had committed crimes.
The U.S. Justice Department is investigating Arpaio's office over allegations of discrimination and unconstitutional searches and seizures – a probe that the sheriff and his millions of supporters believe is a result of his immigration efforts.
I say there’s more hatred today than during the Civil War. All I hear from people when referring to these Liberal Gestapo agents is 4-letter profanity; same goes for members of Congress. In my opinion, the thugs in this Administration and this Congress are despised by a majority of this country.
LLS
Holder should remember that “paybacks are a bitch”!
Jihadis are trying to kill us, and Holder and Napolitano go after this guy who is trying to protect us.
Surreal.
Corrupt.
Disgusting.
no charges from holder against the new black panthers for disrupting a federal polling place but go after a sheriff and good man that is trying to uphold the laws of his country, state and county....anyone see anything wrong here...??
Thugs. Good word. Quite descriptive of this government. Thugocracy at its finest. These people are no better than common criminals, thieves and mobsters. They have power and they are dangerous. Liberty and freedom mean nothing to them. The Constitution, in their view, is their impediment, which will be ignored whenever possible. The mob of Al Capone would be envious................
Boy,,,,,we are doing great in this country. Bring down anyone that is making a positive difference in our society. This Sheriff is one of the best things going right now. He deserves a medal and should be given to him by the President.
Holder will ensure the next election is the most corrupt in history. Investigate nothing. Let the ACORN, SEIU, La RAZA, New Black Panthers and whoever else run wild. Go after anyone who raises a stink or questions their authority. Make them an example to others as to what will happen to them if they follow suit. Divide and conquer...............
but black racist holding sticks outside a voting station are not being charged.
CIA and navy seals are charged while, islamic terrorist get lawyers paid for by us
this is frigging nuts.
YOU THE MEDIA ARE JUST AS MUCH TO BLAME FOR THE RUN DOWN OF THIS COUNTRY AS THE DEM ARE
THE MEDIA ARE A JOKE
Please, you need to put pressure on these slimeball politicians before it is too late.
Holder = enemy
we think alike, you beat me to it
black racists outside a voting station on video holding sticks are not being charged but a sheriff who is voted in by the public and is defending the public is being looked at
WTF is going on.
french used in frustration, sorry
IMO, Hitler would have considered them his close advisers. They would have been perfect Gestapo/SS agents. Some would have been excellent overseeing Auschwitz and other camps.
DHS's system doesn't.
So the 0bama people want to bring Joe down to their level of incompetence and corruption.
this is outrageous .
the white house , it’s radical member of admin and congress have to be stopped.
the sheriff said that in a month obama’s admin was going after him with papers so it meant they already had papers drawn up before they even got sworn in.
the media are just as much to blame, they have carried this radical and his radical friends all the way and still continue to do so.
so all we can do is to wait till 2012 to stop him a little but that will not stop AG unless the GOP gets some balls and forces him to answer why the sheriff gets done but not the black racists
what the hell are the GOP doing right now anyway
Didn’t the sheriff help get Napolitano elected governor in 2002?
no apology needed....
You said it. It’s the world turned upside down. The US government is calling bad good, and good bad. And, they have the resources to make it look that way, too.
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