where is paul babeu today

Pinal County Sheriffs Office Director of Administration Tim Gaffney sent ABC15 a written statement denying that there is any open investigation into their office. 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. [5], Babeu was awarded two Life Saving Medals in the performance of his duties as a patrolman in Chandler. A three-member committee made up of a detention officer, a sheriff's sergeant and a civilian review all requests for RICO funds. Babeu and Voyles this month demanded an apology from Volkmer, Questions about the foundation also were raised in a 2015 federal lawsuit, Babeu spent more than $53,000 to send 25 people to a weeklong conference in St. Louis, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. They contended the foundation operated as a pass-through for funds for Babeu and Voyles. Court records show that problems at the school arose years before Babeu took over as headmaster. But in a solidly conservative part of Arizona, Lamb so far has had plenty of leeway for more and more activities outside the county. Senator John McCain and U.S. The Phoenix New Times is reporting that Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, who has become one of the faces of the anti-illegal immigration fight in Arizona and nationwide, threatened a 34-year-old man identified only as Jose with deportation if he disclosed details of their years-long affair. Orozco claimed his statements are documented in copies of email and SMS correspondence between Orozco and Babeu. 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. By 2016, he had moved to Pinal County and decided to seek the sheriffs job, running as a Republican and, in his words, a constitutional conservative; he made a point of opposing abortion rights in his campaign, but he ran without the same cowboy image he has today. In his book, he describes spending much of his childhood in Hawaii, where, he told me, I was a minority., Lamb, an ardent defender of the Second Amendment, practices at a shooting range in Pinal County, Ariz. Earlier in March, Gaffney also barred this reporter from entering a press conference held by Sheriff Babeu in a public building. Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu today ended his bid for Congress. (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.. Privacy Policy | FCC Public File | Contest Rules 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.. They seemed unsurprised to see their sheriff talking to a reporter and flashing his TV-ready smile. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. 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. A September 4, 2011, text from the sheriff reads: "You can never have business after this and you will harm me and many others in the process. Doug Barrett for POLITICO. Phoenix's independent source of No, no. When their relationship soured, Orozco claimed Babeu had threatened to have him deported unless he signed a contract swearing him to secrecy. 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. The sheriff didn't dispute the authenticity of any text messages or photos appearing with this article.). Lamb has appeared multiple times with Trump at the White House and other political events. . Arizona's forfeiture laws direct proceeds into the coffers of the prosecutors and law-enforcement agencies involved in seizing the items. Brandon Bell/Getty Images. | Lamb is a frequent talking head on Fox News and Newsmax, where he derides President Joe Bidens and Vice President Kamala Harris handling of immigration, and he has spoken at political events like a Turning Point Action summit a few months ago in Phoenix, where he quoted Shakespeare and Thomas Paine (Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered) and promised, The sheriffs are going to hold the line., Sheriff Mark Lamb has jurisdiction over Pinal County, a stretch of desert wedged between Phoenix and Tucson thats home to about 500,000 people. "We're doing the best we can," Lamb said. Two of Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu's siblings believe their brother is unfit to be a U.S. The lawsuit accused Babeu and Voyles of exploiting Arizona's forfeiture laws, which provide little to no oversight on spending, plaintiff's attorneys said. Karns tells Babeu that his proposal ensures that if command staff doesn't "bow and accede" to his "every wish and desire, they face termination." After filing for bankruptcy in 2003, Lamb decided to start again in Arizona, he writes in his book, where he moved with his five kids and his wife, Janel who today has her own book, The Sheriffs Wife, and often appears with her husband at public events. Outside his day job in Pinal County, Lamb, shown here at a cafe in Florence, Ariz., is involved with a new nonprofit coalition of sheriffs and a streaming network highlighting the work sheriffs do as they respond to calls for service. As KJZZ's Dennis Lambert reports from Phoenix, Babeu will run for re-election as sheriff instead. He was Pinal County's first Republican sheriff. Gaffney did not identify the other Sheriffs Office or the FBIs top level supervisor. Visit his site and learn more today! Lamb says he was always interested in guns but didnt plan for a law enforcement career. There was the waitress who told Lamb he needed to gain weight. Later, rioters broke a window as they yelled out for Doug Ducey, the Republican governor who had certified Bidens victory in Arizona. He started his service as a private and rose through the ranks to major in the Arizona Army National Guard. Lambs advocacy follows in the tradition of constitutional sheriffs, who for decades have propagated the idea refuted by constitutional experts that sheriffs are the supreme legal authority in America, above even the president and the Supreme Court, and that they can choose not to enforce any law they consider unconstitutional. "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.". Two weeks before, in mid-June, the temperature was a newsworthy 110-plus degrees. Pinal CountySheriff Mark Lamb said Wednesday that RICO funds no longer serve as a slush fund. Arizona's forfeiture laws direct proceeds into the coffers of the prosecutors and law-enforcement agencies involved in seizing the items. They just happen to support President Trump a lot. When I asked about the roughly 140 law enforcement officers who had been injured or killed while on duty at the Capitol doing a job Lamb also professes to cherish he demurred, saying he hadnt been there and couldnt say what was or wasnt true. . In this case, he's both.". 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. independent local journalism in Phoenix. Ultimately, many residents of Pinal County, which voted 58 percent for Trump in 2020, align politically with Lamb. In fact, Lambs constituents seem to love him: He was unopposed when he ran for reelection last fall and won another four-year term with 97 percent of the vote. 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.". 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. He takes a hardline approach on immigration, for example, but when it comes to the government telling people to get vaccinated or declaring the 2020 election legitimate he fashions himself as more of a vigilante resister, with a heavy dose of anti-government, sometimes militant rhetoric. Photos by Doug Barrett/@400northcreative for Politico Magazine. See also: Babeu's Mexican Ex-Lover Says Sheriff's Attorney Threatened Him With Deportation [27], Babeu dropped his congressional bid on May 11, 2012; instead he sought re-election as sheriff. But on Nov. 12, he appeared on One American News Network and said the enthusiasm he saw for Trump in Arizona does not compute with the election results. Babeu, who subsequently came out as gay, denied making threats, and a state attorney general investigation later cleared him of any criminal wrongdoing, concluding that the allegations were not supported by the facts. In 2016, Babeu ran for Congress; he lost, but the sheriff spot was left open for Lamb, who defeated Babeus anointed successor in the primary and took the general election. 2023 www.azcentral.com. Auditors said Babeu and Voyles also sent$683,406 to a nonprofit called the Arizona Public Safety Foundationmanaged by members of the sheriff's staff, a potential violation ofconflict-of-interest laws. PAUL BABEU: We were notified just recently that he had to make a decision today either to resign from chief deputy, to run, or to pull out of the race, today. ", DeRose wrote: "If you are serious about an amicable resolution to this, it is critical that no further offensive actions against my client be taken in the meantime. The groups website lists seven additional sheriffs at least five of whom have been accused of some form of misconduct as advisory committee members. "But that didn't rise to the level of criminal activity.". The 34-year-old from central Mexico charges that the sheriff's lawyer warned against mentioning the affair with Babeu. I asked Sean Kennedy, a professor at Loyola Law School who is on the oversight commission for the Los Angeles County sheriff, about Lambs involvement with Protect America Now and other outside activities, and he said he believes Lambs behavior violates the NSAs code. Congressman and have endorsed one of his rivals for the GOP primary in Arizona's First. February 16, 2012 Were going to find out who is willing to die for freedom. He also makes direct appeals to citizens, an effort that looks more dangerous after former President Donald Trump riled up supporters on Jan. 6. Karns' scathing message . Lamb, who oversees a medium-sized sheriffs office with 650 employees and a $39 million annual budget, sums up his core beliefs, on everything from immigration to policing to guns, as supporting the rule of law. He repeated the phrase often during our conversations. "What we're focused on is making sure we're as transparent as possible," he said. He led Barrett by just 145 votes. Phoenix's independent source of Lamb insists he has never said Biden did not win the election. Ive never had a desire to run for Senate or Congress, Lamb told me at the caf in Florence, before adding, Im a patriot at heart. ", A couple of minutes later, Babeu followed with: "And you say you have loved me? "One of the reasons is that record-keeping was so poor.". . The case was settled in April 2018, according to court records. ", She adds that federal immigration-enforcement agents have better things to do than "take care of Babeu's boyfriends. Babeu heads a department of 700 and has worked to cut the budget, reorganize leadership, and reduce the response time from his department. The back of Lambs black Chevy Silverado 2500 HD contains his workaday weaponry, including an AR-15 SBR. A Republican, he was elected in 2010 to represent the neighboring 1st congressional district . But his interpretation of the phrase generally implies opposition to whatever rules or laws he deems overly intrusive. "It is truly puzzling why Captain Karns overreacted to an organizational change that has yet to take place, and I can only surmise that some other issue is in play that made him lash out," Gaffney says in his statement. Phoenix's independent source of When the coronavirus pandemic hit, he publicly resisted Arizonas mask mandates and stay-at-home orders before catching Covid himself last year, which he discovered when he was denied entry to the White House for a meeting with Trump. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. Super Fans, Mascot Mania, and All-Stars: Suns and Nuggets Get Ready to Rumble, Fight Night: How Phoenix Became a Hotbed for Mixed Martial Arts Champions, New Attainable Not Necessarily Affordable Housing Coming to Downtown Phoenix, Katie Hobbs Gets Singed After Unwrapping Tamale-tastrophe, I Love the Rivalry: Fans Soak Up U.S.-Mexico Soccer Showdown in the Valley. Lamb loves it. ", Antonio Bustamante, a criminal defense attorney and immigration activist, tells New Times that if the allegations against Babeu are true, "To use a position of authority. | (Asked about the report, Mack said CSPOA denounce[s] all racism and violence.), Mack said Lamb is not an official CSPOA member, but he clearly sees Lamb as one of his own. [32] O'Halleran defeated Babeu, receiving 51% of the vote to Babeu's 44%. Babeau said he intended to balance the department's budget by auctioning the equipment. Contact ABC15 Investigator Dave Biscobing at dbiscobing@abc15.com. and you didn't care.". [24], A spokesman for Babeu denied the allegations and described them as "sensationalist". ", (After this story was published online February 17, Babeu and DeRose denied Orozco and his lawyer's threat-of-deportation allegations, and under pressure the sheriff came out as a gay man and admitted that he'd had an affair with Orozco. [16] Babeu led the third largest sheriff's office in Arizona with 700 full-time employees. Stephen is a former staff writer and columnist at, Become a member to support the independent voice of Phoenix Babeu campaigned for the office of Pinal County Sheriff in 2008 and defeated Democratic incumbent Chris Vasquez, 54% to 46%. They exchanged more texts on September 6. 6:31PM. Career as Pinal County Sheriff and runs for higher office, 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona District 4, 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona District 1, "Sheriff-elect Babeu won't finish year with Chandler police", "Babeu says he was victim of priest abuse", "Arizona sheriff Paul Babeu, originally from Western Mass., resigns from Mitt Romney's Arizona campaign after misconduct allegations by former lover", The Republican (Springfield, Massachusetts), "MA State Senate Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire & Franklin Race", "It's official: Barrett and Babeu will square off again in race for mayor of North Adams", "Babeu kicks off his campaign with event at the Holiday Inn", "Legal trouble dogged Mass. Join the New Times community and help support And on Facebook, Babeu is still Pinal County's top law dog. The lawsuit accused Babeu and Voyles of exploiting Arizona's forfeiture laws, which provide little to no oversight on spending, plaintiff's attorneys said. January 8, 2013 DeRose said gossip about Babeu would focus attention on Orozco, attention that could result in his deportation, Orozco says. He won the Republican nomination against Peter Abair. Babeu retired in September 2010 after 20 years of service. Initially, Lamb worked in pest control, with a focus on pigeons. The amount was the largest to any single group over the three years, the audit said. It could be the Justin cowboy hat he wears pulled low over his eyes and his penchant for Western shirts and a tactical vest in lieu of a uniform. The FBI is asking new questions about Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu and his offices use of seized criminal money. It could be his demeanor, at once confident and aw-shucks. 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. All of Lambs activities outside Pinal County raise the question of whether he is making money off this work. Lamb said he wants to release RICO funds quarterlyand that he will require recipients to submit a breakdown of expenses, which will be reviewed by a committee before a request is approved. RICO seizures and spending by the Pinal County Sheriffs Office and County Attorneys office have been heavily criticized by several watchdog groups during the past year. [19], In late 2010, Babeu was asked by Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio to investigate allegations of wrongdoing in Arapaio's department. . The hosts called him. 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. And he still believes there was, as he put it to me, a significant amount of concerning information about the integrity of the election. Now in his second term, Shaun Babeu will be up for re-election in 2018. Its not clear if the FBI has opened an official case. Since taking office in 2017, Lamb has become the face of a new online streaming service called the American Sheriff Network and of a nonprofit coalition of sheriffs called Protect America Now; he also founded a charity, the American Sheriff Foundation. The district's incumbent representative, Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick, did not seek re-election as she instead ran for the U.S. He said requests did not appear to be made for specific dollar amounts and no system appeared to be in place to review where the money went. 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. "[18] He reported, "Pinal County contains an estimated 75-100 drug cartel cells and listening posts/observation posts, used to facilitate the illegal transportation of people and narcotics into the United States. In July, the American Civil Liberties Union and international law firm Perkins Coie jointly filed a lawsuitagainst the Pinal County Sheriffs Office and the Pinal County Attorneys Office. PCSO mouthpiece Tim Gaffney, in a statement posted online by the Arizona Daily Star, dismissed Karns e-mail by citing that no decision yet has been made by the Board of Supervisors, that this was merely an "organizational change to improve operations.". The school closed in 2004, following the death of its founder Michael DeSisto. Karns, however, would have faced a nearly $15,000 pay cut. Personal website. [33], Babeu's tenure as sheriff ended on January 1, 2017, after his term expired. In public, Lamb commands attention. Once elected, Lamb promised he would focus on building relationships within the county. [7], In 1997, he ran for mayor of North Adams against incumbent Democrat John Barrett III. County officials have confirmed they are cooperating with federal investigators. "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 law requires prosecutors to get approval from county boards of supervisors before using RICO funds. The decision by the AG's Office doesn't mean Babeu and Voyles have been cleared of wrongdoing. local news and culture, Stephen Lemons There were middle-aged women with salon-styled hair hoping to take their picture with him. Another man walking by said, The sheriff is a good dude. Everyone gathered for a picture, just one more. Join the New Times community and help support According to Babeu's website, "Pinal County is the number one pass through county in all of America for drug and human smuggling. Lamb supported the stop the steal campaign in Arizona and has expressed sympathy for the Jan. 6 rioters. Sheriff Babeu won his first term in a landslide election victory in 2008 over the incumbent Sheriff. The Show highlights the creative builders, makers and designers that are sharing their talents with Arizonans. 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. The sheriff at the time, Paul Babeu, had faced a series of scandals, including an affair with a man who alleged Babeu had threatened to deport him if he exposed their relationship. He says he once wrote a comment on Chino Valley eNews (on which Babeu had an account), where gay men arrange sexual liaisons. Can we start calling you senator? the man asked. The pandemic has given Lamb, like much of the GOP, a new pet cause. Better get an attorney. Lambs nose for PR is apparent, and it extends beyond Protect America Now. [1] In 1992, Babeu was elected to a four-year term as a Berkshire County, Massachusetts, commissioner. "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. For example, Lamb, an ardent defender of the Second Amendment, has spoken in support of the formation of private militias well within the Constitution, he told a group of supporters in March and emphasized the power of sheriffs in Arizona, an open-carry state, to call local civilians into service to suppress all affrays, insurrections and riots that comes to the attention of the sheriff. Last year, as Black Lives Matter protests swept across the country, he formed a local civilian posse to assist his office with law enforcement, even though there were no such protests in Pinal County. Become a member to support the independent voice of Phoenix He barely seems to sweat. From November 8 onward, Babeu was like a man racing against the hourglass, appearing numerous times on Fox Business, Fox News and Fox 10 Phoenix, attired in his tan uniform. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. 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 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. . 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). Join the New Times community and help support has expressed sympathy for the Jan. 6 rioters, spoke at a recent anti-vaccine rally in Phoenix, along with an estimated 138 currently serving sheriffs, unabashed member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, defeated Babeus anointed successor in the primary, promised he would focus on building relationships within the county, has appeared with the Federation for American Immigration Reform, 650 employees and a $39 million annual budget, with a stated mission of educating Americans, The Arizona Republic investigated his charity, The state ethics committee investigated Lamb, A local newspaper also accused him of having an affair, a design sold by the right-wing shock jocks the Hodgetwins.

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