Are you referring perhaps to the practice of local law enforcement keeping the drug money they confiscate, and faithfully depositing it in their widows and orphans fund?
Thaler has a book, Report to the Governor, which will be released in the coming weeks. One excerpt from the book worth noting:
Illegal narcotics are big business, maybe the biggest of businesses. Where drugs exist, tyranny follows, and rights disappear.
Arizona is saturated with drugs and drug trafficking. It is awash in cash laundered to protect its narco origins. As a result, it is the most corrupt state in the country. Don’t just take my word for it. That conclusion comes from a 2022 study conducted by Harvard University. The authors concluded that Arizona has the highest instances of “private gains in the form of cash or gifts by a government official, in exchange for providing specific benefits to private individuals or groups.” The study further found significant corruption in the legislative, executive and judicial branches, mostly from bribes.