Join the New Times community and help support [6], In 2002, he moved to Arizona to pursue a law enforcement career as a police officer for the city of Chandler, Arizona. Become a member to support the independent voice of Phoenix 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. Lamb insists he has never said Biden did not win the election. With an action figure-style charisma and a growing media platform, Lamb sees it as his mission to educate the American public about the role of the sheriff, which he described to me as to protect people from the bad guys, and I always say the sheriff is also there to protect the people from government overreach. As much as he glorifies law enforcement, though, Lamb is selective about which laws he chooses to enforce. 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. "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.". Babeu's Twitter page still presents him as a sheriff. Now in his second term, Shaun Babeu will be up for re-election in 2018. There have been reports Babeu's fundraising efforts took a hit in the wake of the controversy surrounding his announcement earlier this year that he is gay. "Jose came to our firm because he felt he was being intimidated, and he was in fear for his life," Weiss-Riner says. [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. The decision by the AG's Office doesn't mean Babeu and Voyles have been cleared of wrongdoing. The county also enjoys relatively low levels of crime. "If what [Babeu's attorney] says is correct [about Orozco's being illegal], either the sheriff had a long relationship with someone he knew was undocumented, while all the time being Mr. Bluster about the border and using it for political gain," or he threatened to deport someone he just broke up with, Merritt says. "At a minimum, it seems that by funneling money to a private group which buys things for him and his department Babeu is able to avoid procurement laws and other transparency regulations which usually apply to government purchasing," the lawsuit stated. Raymond Babeu was a longtime employee of the area's electric utility who was also active in local politics. That morning I came home, and I told my wife I was gonna be a cop, he concluded. In an email, he wrote that Lamb is a Constitutional Sheriff and is one of the best sheriffs in America. Lamb, for his part, says he respects Mack and has a good relationship with CSPOA. But he emphasized to me that Protect America Now and CSPOA are different groups, and said he also does not support any form of white supremacy. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. Congressman and have endorsed one of his rivals for the GOP primary in Arizona's First. January 8, 2013 6:00AM. The state ethics committee investigated Lamb for intervening to stop the seizure of a Republican lobbyists land, for which the lobbyist was behind on paying property taxes, but the investigation was dropped after accusations of impartiality. He insists he doesnt have political ambitions beyond the sheriffs office, though. 4:00AM. She says DeRose falsely claimed that Orozco's visa had expired. The subpoena comes on the heels of an FBI probe of Babeu and former Pinal County Attorney Lando Voyles and whether they inappropriately used profits from seized property for personal and professional expenses. But Jose Orozco refused. He won the Republican nomination against Peter Abair. I asked Lamb if he was vaccinated, and he told me, through his PR representative, Corey Vale, to print exactly this: Thats nobodys damn business., Lamb makes a statement at the White House in support of Trumps veto of a bill that Congress passed to block the presidents declaration of a national emergency to fund a wall at the Southern border in March 2019. Babeu ran for Arizona's 4th congressional district in the 2012 elections to the United States House of Representatives but withdrew and came out as gay after a personal controversy. The foundation used RICO funds from Pinal County to help support Sheriff's Office activities and functions. Lately, Lamb has been supporting the campaign of Kari Lake, a Trump-endorsed former Fox anchor running for Arizonas open governors seat in 2022. 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. All rights reserved. . She says she spoke directly to the sheriff's lawyer, DeRose, about the Babeu camp's threats that Orozco could be deported if he "revealed the relationship." Babeu was first elected as sheriff in 2008. In 2001, Babeu ran for a rematch against Barrett, but lost again. Lamb fires his service pistol, a Glock 34. Pinal County Sheriff's Office Captain Jeffrey Karns, who retired today, lambasted Sheriff Paul Babeu in an e-mail he sent not only to Babeu, but to all PCSO staff. One day, in the mid-2000s, he went on a ride-along with a neighbor who worked in law enforcement and, armed with courage and a flashlight, Lamb says, he found a suspect they were after hiding in a trailer. Cochise County uses RICO funds for scholarships, Governor signs bill to tighten rules on asset seizures by law enforcement. Shutterstock. [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. He also argues the mob that overtook the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 was more heavily policed than the Black Lives Matter movement. Better get an attorney. Photos by Doug Barrett/@400northcreative for Politico Magazine. [3][4], Babeu holds an associate degree in law enforcement from the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy. This 6-month-long detailed search led to the termination of Arpaio's top two deputies. Babeu served as the Police Association president for the Chandler Police Department and on the board of directors for the Arizona Police Association.[5]. Orozco says he met Babeu in October 2006 on gay.com, a dating website. On his person, Lamb has a 9mm Glock pistol, plus a long knife, a taser, handcuffs and extra ammunition. independent local journalism in Phoenix. Paul Raymond Babeu (pronounced BAB-you;[1] born February 3, 1969) is an American law enforcement officer, politician and member of the Republican Party who was sheriff of Pinal County, Arizona, from January 1, 2009, to January 1, 2017. Congressional hopeful Paul Babeu briefly joined the growing list of Republicans nationally who renounced their support for Donald Trump's presidential campaign in a tweet that disappeared an. Because sheriffs are not usually term-limited, Lamb can stay in office as long as he gets reelected, or until he decides to run for another office, as many other sheriffs have though Lamb says he is happy where he is. But ABC15 remains unable to confirm Gaffney's statement. 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. I dont think that Black Lives Matter is productive for the Blacks, Lamb also told me. He says lawyer Chris DeRose demanded he sign an agreement that he would never breathe a word about the affair. There was an older Latino man named Randy wearing a snap-pocket shirt who had recently retired from a wild horse-and-burro program at the nearby prison and asked Lamb if he knew any cowboys. On October 23, 2011, Babeu announced the formation of an exploratory committee to run for U.S. Congress in what would become Arizona's newly redrawn 4th congressional district. He has called vaccine mandates garbage and spoke at a recent anti-vaccine rally in Phoenix, where he told supporters, Were going to find out what kind of patriots you are. The audit also found that $151,645 of the community outreachmonies awarded to the foundation went to unauthorized uses benefiting the County Attorney or Sheriff's Office programs. [5], At age 17, while still in high school, Babeu campaigned against a proposed raise for North Adams, Massachusetts, City Council members. Join the New Times community and help support Orozco claimed his statements are documented in copies of email and SMS correspondence between Orozco and Babeu. Time on the screen says 5:02 p.m. . Pinal County Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Navideh Forghani said Friday that the sheriff already has complied with the demand and has turned over the records. Your contact infoWe'll be in touch if we look into your question. See additional photos from text-messages between Sheriff Babeu and his ex-lover. He was defeated in the general election by Democrat Tom O'Halleran. Now, with the public's memory of the scandal fading. Doug Ducey in 2017 signed a lawto increase oversight ofRICO expenditures and give people a better ability to challengeforfeiture laws. ABC15 has learned agents in the FBIs Phoenix Division have conducted interviews with several people in recent weeks to talk about so-called RICO funds used by the sheriffs office. Senate. The hosts called him. [11][12], Babeu joined the Massachusetts National Guard as a 21-year-old. (State records show, and Vale confirmed, that Lambs 2020 campaign provided a $10,000 loan to the group in August of last year.) . Jessica Pishko is a writer and a lawyer who is working on a book about sheriffs. Gaffney points to Karns' past support of Babeu, including a letter he wrote recommending Babeu for the National Sheriff of the Year Award, and an e-mail commending Babeu for his leadership and stance on arming school administrators in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. Lamb supported the stop the steal campaign in Arizona and has expressed sympathy for the Jan. 6 rioters. Ultimately, many residents of Pinal County, which voted 58 percent for Trump in 2020, align politically with Lamb. In late January, ABC15 exposed a damning home video showing Babeu praising the abusive and inhumane treatment of special needs children at a boarding school he used to run. 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. 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. Of 43 groups that did provide one, documentation was incomplete, the audit found. Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu today ended his bid for Congress. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Requests are often limited to reimbursements and often require proof of expenses. The law requires prosecutors to get approval from county boards of supervisors before using RICO funds. (In response to the incident, Texas passed a state law that forbids law enforcement agencies from partnering with reality television shows.) They said he accused them of criminal conduct. CLARIFICATION: This article has been updated to include the results of an into allegations made against Sheriff Paul Babeu. The amount was the largest to any single group over the three years, the audit said. [14] Babeu was reelected in 2012 with 53.3% of the votes, winning out over Democrat and independent candidates. Stephen is a former staff writer and columnist at, Become a member to support the independent voice of Phoenix Former Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu and County Attorney Lando Voyles said they have been maligned and subjected to "disparaging statements" over their handling of profits from seized. It could be his demeanor, at once confident and aw-shucks. Babeu could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. When reached Tuesday, a spokesman declined to comment. Gov. Instead, his pro-sheriff messaging with media savvy and Trump-y politics thrown in the mix seems designed for a wider audience. 2023 www.azcentral.com. [27], Babeu dropped his congressional bid on May 11, 2012; instead he sought re-election as sheriff. No, no. He faced Democrat Tom O'Halleran in the general election. During his tenure he served a tour in Iraq and spent 17 months deployed in Arizona as a commander with Operation Jump Start (Southwest Border Mission). Another man walking by said, The sheriff is a good dude. Everyone gathered for a picture, just one more. "[30], Babeu ran for Arizona's 1st congressional district in the 2016 elections. Forfeiture money paid for Voyles' personal security system, retirement contributions of employees in his office and fundraising for the Sheriff's Office, according to the lawsuit. Babeu campaigned for the office of Pinal County Sheriff in 2008 and defeated Democratic incumbent Chris Vasquez, 54% to 46%. [21] After an Arizona Republic newspaper report, the Defense Logistics Agency directed Babeu "to retrieve vehicles and other equipment his office distributed to non-police organizations".[22]. All rights reserved. . | Burghart, the researcher of far-right movements, sees Protect America Now and the coalition it is building as a dangerous force, arguing the group represents the next step for the constitutional sheriff movement and its elevation of the power of sheriffs. About 1,000 Trump supporters had descended on the state Capitol; one group of them brought a guillotine. It could be his size hes 63, 240 pounds, or so he writes in his self-published book, American Sheriff: Traditional Values in a Modern World. Senator John McCain, who called Babeu his friend. Lamb loves it. ", The following day, on September 7, De-Rose sent an e-mail directly to Orozco ordering him to "cease and desist. He sarcastically thanks Babeu for "notifying me that you were involuntarily forcing an 'at-will' position on mepunitively reducing my pay by approximately $15,000 [and] handing me as good a 'Constructive Termination' cause of action as I have ever seen.". Lavigne. The audit highlighted 31 awards, totaling $683,406 that went to the Arizona Public Safety Foundation. Lamb, center, speaks at a Turning Point Action gathering in Phoenix this past July. More recently, he was a consultant on Kanye Wests quixotic 2020 presidential campaign. Lamb said this month that he is reviewing every aspect of RICO expenditures before releasing funds and wants to create a new approval and review process. Babeu was born on February 3, 1969, in North Adams, Massachusetts, to Raymond and Helen Babeu. For questions about programming, membership or anything else about KJZZ, please visit kjzz.org/contact. Attorneys for Babeu, Voyles and his former chief of staff, Dwight Fujimoto, accused Volkmer of making false claims. In this case, he's both.". Later, rioters broke a window as they yelled out for Doug Ducey, the Republican governor who had certified Bidens victory in Arizona. 6:31PM. 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". He told me Lamb does make some money from occasional appearances at gun shows and other events but likewise would not disclose the amount. Pinal County is 5,400 square miles, roughly the size of Connecticut, and much of it is sand. | Auditors said the pair funneled money to community groups without proper oversight and sometimes without paperwork detailing how the money would be spent. He said the county has implemented a new system of checks and balances that require multiple levels of approval, explanations of how recipients intend to use moneyand receipts documenting expenses. To date, the movements largest formal organization is the Constitutional Sheriffs and Police Officers Association, formed in 2011 by former sheriff Richard Mack, who told me the association has attracted more than 700 sheriffs to its events and trainings. Once approved, the requests are sent to the county attorney's office for review by another committee. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. The subpoena, obtained by The Arizona Republic through a public records request, was issued in the spring and ordered Lamb to provide the RICO documents before September. 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. Keating says her JP sibling had been living at the house Babeu is selling until recently, perhaps renting from the. Phoenix's independent source of "We never found proof of criminal activity," he said. I love America. "At a minimum, it seems that by funneling money to a private group which buys things for him and his department Babeu is able to avoid procurement laws and other transparency regulations which usually apply to government purchasing," the lawsuit stated. The poor record-keeping noted by auditors was also a key factor preventing the AG's officefrom filing charges against Babeu and Voyles, Anderson said. 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. "I will likely get the compensation back that your actions are costing my family, unfortunately not from you personally, but from the poor taxpayers of Pinal County who will likely continue to suffer such actions due to what you continue to do," Karns writes to Babeu. How a city councilman from New England became a darling of Republicans nationwide. Contact ABC15 Investigator Dave Biscobing at dbiscobing@abc15.com. 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. Protect America Nows 69 member sheriffs, who come from states including California, New Mexico, Virginia and South Dakota, also appear on right-leaning media to advocate for smaller government in all areas except immigration. 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.". Republican Mark Lamb succeeded Babeu as sheriff.[34][35]. Babeu's statement said that "Border Patrol agents were shot at by drug smugglers last month on the Tohono O'odham Reservation south of Pinal County," but it's unclear whether the shooting involved . 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. The relationship soured, and Orozco believes that Babeu sent DeRose after him. Orozco says he created and maintained Babeu's campaign websites, his Facebook page, and his Twitter account. Babeu is vice president of the Arizona Sheriffs' Association[15] and was named the National Sheriff of the Year in 2011 by the National Sheriffs' Association. 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. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Article It could be one of the most competitive House seats in. Sheriff Paul Babeu of Pinal County Arizona has emerged as a Republican face for tougher US-Mexico border security. A Republican, he was elected in 2010 to represent the neighboring 1st congressional district . Lamb says the network takes its inspiration from Live PD, an A&E show that ran from 2016 until 2020, when it was canceled after deputies in Williamson County, Texas, were caught on camera tasing a man named Javier Ambler, and ultimately killing him. The new FBI interviews are the latest issue to hit Babeu as he attempts a second run for Congress. (Many job-safety rankings consider being a roofer more dangerous than being a police officer.). "He wanted his legal rights protected. Forfeiture laws, in general, created a multimillion-dollar "slush fund available to (law enforcement) with little or no oversight," the lawsuit said. Arizona police seized $200 million in personal property, but where did the money go? While Lamb has gotten more and more scrutiny in Arizona, he has mostly brushed it off. He withdrew from the race prior to the primary. Sheriffs in almost every state operate independently with limited oversight, giving them the freedom to engage in political advocacy and appear in the media. 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. Court records show that problems at the school arose years before Babeu took over as headmaster.
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