Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. A staunch conservative, Republican Babeu has made his stance on illegal immigration known to the nation as he fights for stricter laws. Congress. State auditors found Babeu and Voyles failed to follow procedures and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on unauthorized purchases. We dont go to a shooting range as much as an open, sandy field that Lamb says belongs to a friend of his. While Lamb has gotten more and more scrutiny in Arizona, he has mostly brushed it off. (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. 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. The sheriff didn't dispute the authenticity of any text messages or photos appearing with this article.). Can we start calling you senator? the man asked. They are watching a movie . 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 . 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. The lawsuit accused Babeu and Voyles of exploiting Arizona's forfeiture laws, which provide little to no oversight on spending, plaintiff's attorneys said. [8] In the general election, Barrett won re-election and defeated Babeu 53%-47%,[1] a difference of just 353 votes, in an election with an unusually high turnout rate of 75% among registered voters. [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. No, no. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. | This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Court records show that problems at the school arose years before Babeu took over as headmaster. We'll be in touch if we look into your question. 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. But his interpretation of the phrase generally implies opposition to whatever rules or laws he deems overly intrusive. 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. The lawsuit accused Babeu and Voyles of exploiting Arizona's forfeiture laws, which provide little to no oversight on spending, plaintiff's attorneys said. I love America. He has also. . Become a member to support the independent voice of Phoenix 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. ", (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. ", Sheriff Babeu Abandons Race for Arizona Congressional Seat, "Arizona sheriff launches bid for Congress", "It's Republican Paul Babeu And Democrat Tom O'Halleran In Monstrous CD-1 Race", "Democrat Tom O'Halleran defeats Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu in CD-1", 3 best known Arizona sheriffs out in new year, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu mum on plans after leaving office, Paul Babeau biography at Pinal County Sheriff's Office, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Babeu&oldid=1147812398, Candidates in the 1996 United States elections, Candidates in the 2012 United States elections, Candidates in the 2016 United States elections, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts alumni, United States Army personnel of the Iraq War, Articles with dead external links from March 2022, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 2 April 2023, at 10:08. 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. The latest of the alleged threats were made through Babeu's personal attorney, who's also running the sheriff's campaign for Congress in District 4, the ex-lover says. [31] On August 30, 2016, Babeu was declared the winner of the Republican primary. The status of both federal investigations was unknown. Shutterstock. Lamb says he was always interested in guns but didnt plan for a law enforcement career. While it is unclear what transpired between Karns and Babeu or other high-level PCSO staff, Karns -- who says he was planning to retire in April -- hints at lawsuit against the Sheriff's Office. 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. The pandemic has given Lamb, like much of the GOP, a new pet cause. 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. 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. Lamb is at far right. 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.". 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 Arizona Republic investigated his charity, which aims to bridge the gap between law enforcement and communities, and found the group had misreported $18,000 in spending in fact, the charity didnt report any spending in 2018. Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu's campaign launched a counterattack late Monday on a key source for a story broadcast Sunday by a Phoenix TV station. 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. | Ex-Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu hearts the shiny badge and spiffy uniform of his erstwhile office so much that he seems loath to relinquish it online. Arizona's forfeiture laws direct proceeds into the coffers of the prosecutors and law-enforcement agencies involved in seizing the items. 6:00AM. What started with an online invitation from Babeu for the two to get together, he says, turned into not only a personal relationship but a professional one. Of 43 groups that did provide one, documentation was incomplete, the audit found. I dont know how loud we have to get before they start to listen to us and know that we will no longer tolerate them stripping our freedoms away, he said. Join the New Times community and help support Orozco says he complied but that Babeu and his attorney also wanted Orozco to sign a document that would bind him legally to keep silent about the relationship. independent local journalism in Phoenix. After the relationship ended, Orozco claims that Babeu threatened Orozco with deportation to guarantee his silence. One Instagram post from his account reads, No vaccine, no mask..I did test positive though for Americanitis! underneath a photo of Lamb leaning back on a bench and smiling. Two of Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu's Sisters Endorse His Rival In a written statement, he wrote "The investigation determined that Babeu did not commit any criminal violations and further concluded that, although Orozco conducted himself in a manner that may constitute a violation of the law, there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction on anything more than a misdemeanor charge. You can actually effect change as the sheriff, he says. Forfeiture laws, in general, created a multimillion-dollar "slush fund available to (law enforcement) with little or no oversight," the lawsuit said. FBI probe of Babeu and former Pinal County Attorney Lando Voyles. | Kjzz Doug Barrett for POLITICO. [13] He was the first Republican sheriff elected in the history of the county (founded in 1875). Lamb chalked that up to an accountants error. Thank you for your inquiry, as you know we cannot confirm or deny the existence of investigations, said FBI Special Agent Matthew Reinsmoen. Become a member to support the independent voice of Phoenix A group of kids gathered around Lambs truck for sheriff-branded stickers. . The FBI declined comment Wednesday. Paul Anthony Gosar (/ o s r / GOH-sar; born November 27, 1958) is an American far-right politician and dentist who has represented Arizona's 9th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2023 and represented Arizona's 4th congressional district from 2013 to 2023. for 1+3, enter 4. Two top former law-enforcement officials in Pinal County won't face state criminal charges over their questionable use of profitsfrom property seized during arrests and investigations. (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.. Home - Paul Babeu for Congress Voyles maintained that he implemented proper controls to ensure RICO funds were not misspent and pointed to audits conducted by the county, the Arizona Attorney Generals Office and the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. (In response to the incident, Texas passed a state law that forbids law enforcement agencies from partnering with reality television shows.) A three-member committee made up of a detention officer, a sheriff's sergeant and a civilian review all requests for RICO funds. Your contact infoWe'll be in touch if we look into your question. [20], In 2011 and 2012, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office collected $7 million worth of surplus military equipment. Karns' scathing message . [10] Babeu stated that he had never been the target of an investigation or lawsuit and "was recognized for helping restore financial stability of the school. Orozco says he created and maintained Babeu's campaign websites, his Facebook page, and his Twitter account. He wears Wranglers, worn cowboy boots, a black shirt with rolled sleeves, a fully loaded tactical vest and a brown leather belt with Sheriff Lamb embossed across the back. The federal grand jury also asked for documents involving funds that were provided to the Arizona Public Safety Foundation, a non-profit agency that received hundreds of thousands of dollars in Pinal County RICO funds. [29], On August 31, 2012, the Arizona solicitor general exonerated Babeu after an investigation. "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. While some Pinal County residents say Lambs involvement in politics and entertainment has gone too far, the county voted overwhelmingly to reelect him last year. The relationship soured, and Orozco believes that Babeu sent DeRose after him. 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. Arizona won't prosecute Paul Babeu, Lando Voyles on use of RICO funds Lamb, too, is on the advisory committee, but hes also the groups most prominent public representative. Lamb loves it. 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. Next door in Pinal County, Lamb embraced Arpaios anti-immigrant bent; before long he appeared, sure enough, on Fox News to talk about the border crisis (though Pinal County is not on the U.S.-Mexico border), and deployed officers and equipment to help federal authorities with immigration enforcement. And on Facebook, Babeu is still Pinal County's top law dog. | He told me Lamb does make some money from occasional appearances at gun shows and other events but likewise would not disclose the amount. Former President Donald Trump, bottom right, also spoke at the event. See also: Babeu Turns Distortion of Truth Into an Art Form . Auditors said the pair funneled money to community groups without proper oversight and sometimes without paperwork detailing how the money would be spent. Babeu was tapping RICO funds to pay for Sheriff's Office travel as early as 2011. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. They just happen to support President Trump a lot. [6], In 2002, he moved to Arizona to pursue a law enforcement career as a police officer for the city of Chandler, Arizona. The new FBI interviews are the latest issue to hit Babeu as he attempts a second run for Congress. Senator John McCain, who called Babeu his friend. "We never found proof of criminal activity," he said. 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. "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. 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. Lamb insists he has never said Biden did not win the election. ", The following day, on September 7, De-Rose sent an e-mail directly to Orozco ordering him to "cease and desist. "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. 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. He says he once wrote a comment on Chino Valley eNews (on which Babeu had an account), where gay men arrange sexual liaisons. As we left the gun range during my visit to Pinal County and stopped by a gas station to hydrate, we again ran into more fans of Lambs. He insists he doesnt have political ambitions beyond the sheriffs office, though. There were middle-aged women with salon-styled hair hoping to take their picture with him. Arizona police seized $200 million in personal property, but where did the money go? 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. In this case, he's both.". On his person, Lamb has a 9mm Glock pistol, plus a long knife, a taser, handcuffs and extra ammunition. Lamb, 49, has jurisdiction over only Arizonas third most populous county, a stretch of desert wedged between Phoenix and Tucson thats home to about 500,000 people. Pinal CountySheriff Mark Lamb said Wednesday that RICO funds no longer serve as a slush fund. 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." 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. This summer, he made a short video saying he would not require, or ask, his staff to get vaccinated. Paul Babeu - Joe Biden Bio