• Reporter profile
• More by Dylan Smith

• Latest
• Most Commented

• As America's war ends, Iraq's begins0
• Feds sue Arpaio over documents1
• Brewer: 'Longest 16 seconds of my life'2
• Opinion: Israel and the Iranian bomb0
• China: Too cheap to avoid a traffic jam?0

• Glassman hires new campaign manager3
• Kelly beats Paton in CD8, Glassman wins Dem Senate primary3
• Giffords: Arizona’s solar future starts today3
• Brewer: 'Longest 16 seconds of my life' 2
• Poll: Brewer leads Goddard by 19 points2

The U.S. Justice Department is suing Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio for his 15-month refusal to turn over documents in a civil rights investigation. Read the suit & watch a video of Arpaio responding to it.

Thanks to

Posted Sep 2, 2010, 3:18 pm

Dylan Smith TucsonSentinel.com

The U.S. Justice Department is suing Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio for his 15-month refusal to turn over documents in a civil rights investigation.

The government has sought arrest and other records from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office since March 2009.

Justice is investigating Arpaio's possible mistreatment of prisoners and whether his wide-ranging immigration "sweeps" violate the civil rights of Hispanics who are pulled over.

Arpaio has said the investigation is politically motivated. He had been given a deadline of Aug. 17 to turn over the documents.

Arpaio's critics say his immigration enforcement tactics are racial profiling. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office was stripped of its authority to enforce federal immigration laws last year.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Phoenix on Thursday, names the sheriff, his office and Maricopa County.

The suit comes after weeks of letters and meetings between the feds and Maricopa officials, the Arizona Republic reported:

A spokeswoman for the Justice Department has said it is unprecedented for an agency to refuse to cooperate with a Title VI investigation. This is the first time the agency is suing to compel access to documents and facilities.

***

The sheriff's failure to cooperate could cost the county millions of dollars of federal funding. Last year, the county received $113 million in federal funds, according to county records; of that, the Sheriff's Office received $3.8 million. County officials must agree that they will not discriminate in order to receive those funds.

The suit isn't Arpaio's only trouble with the federal government. A grand jury is investigating abuse of power allegations against him. Arpaio is accused of intimidating county workers at their homes.

Arpaio press conference video