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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. Sheriff Paul Babeu is a decorated lawman, Iraq war veteran, and a corruption fighter. Doug Barrett for POLITICO, Lamb went through a variety of jobs, including running a paintball business in Utah that ultimately failed. Doug Barrett for POLITICO. 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. I have to protect the families of my county, even in the absence of the federal government. The Goldwater Institute, a conservative watchdog group, raised concerns about the foundationin 2017 and sought records to determine if Babeu was using it to bypass campaign-finance laws and promote his 2016 congressional campaign. I love America. Paul Babeu - Wikipedia The Show highlights the creative builders, makers and designers that are sharing their talents with Arizonans. | Lamb has appeared multiple times with Trump at the White House and other political events. Charismatic and ambitious, Mark Lamb embodies a new kind of Trump-era lawman. [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. In 2001, Babeu ran for a rematch against Barrett, but lost again. Babeu first mentioned the alleged crimes on Saturday, when he held a press conference to discuss Jose's allegations. [1] In 1992, Babeu was elected to a four-year term as a Berkshire County, Massachusetts, commissioner. Babeu was tapping RICO funds to pay for Sheriff's Office travel as early as 2011. How a city councilman from New England became a darling of Republicans nationwide. They contended the foundation operated as a pass-through for funds for Babeu and Voyles. The status of both federal investigations was unknown. Attorneys for Babeu, Voyles and his former chief of staff, Dwight Fujimoto, accused Volkmer of making false claims. This should go without saying.". 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. But in a solidly conservative part of Arizona, Lamb so far has had plenty of leeway for more and more activities outside the county. Babeu was first elected as sheriff in 2008. . 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. 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. this is no good. 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. When I asked Vale whether Lamb made a salary from the American Sheriff Network, he said Lamb was a partner of a Virginia LLC that produces the content but declined to give any other details. 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. Cochise County uses RICO funds for scholarships, Governor signs bill to tighten rules on asset seizures by law enforcement. 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. Melissa Weiss-Riner, Orozco's attorney, confirms her client's account. The Anti-Defamation League recently released a report calling CSPOA an anti-government extremist group and citing public appearances Mack has made with white supremacist individuals or groups. Questions about the foundation also were raised in a 2015 federal lawsuitby attorneys from Perkins Coie and the American Civil Liberties Union. You brother will also be contacted. and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. 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. Doug Ducey in 2017 signed a lawto increase oversight ofRICO expenditures and give people a better ability to challengeforfeiture laws. Lavigne. Babeu was tapping RICO funds to pay for Sheriff's Office travel as early as 2011. . See also: Babeu's Suspicious Past as School's Headmaster Perhaps Paul Babeu, the Arizona sheriff and former Romney campaign manager, should spend more time studying the Republican Party's approach to gay rights. Sheriff Paul Babeu: Arizona border hawk, rising conservative star From 2006 to 2007, Babeu spent 17 months as commander of Task Force Yuma supervising 700 soldiers, where they supported the United States Border Patrol to achieve operational control and reduce illegal immigration. 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. Sheriff Babeu won his first term in a landslide election victory in 2008 over the incumbent Sheriff. | 5542%. (State records show, and Vale confirmed, that Lambs 2020 campaign provided a $10,000 loan to the group in August of last year.) Records show Babeu spent more than $53,000 to send 25 people to a weeklong conference in St. Louis at which he received a national award. Former President Donald Trump, bottom right, also spoke at the event. A spokesperson for the NSA told me that, while the code of ethics is the basis of an organizational creed, sheriffs generally rely on their state laws for legal guidance. ", (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. Follow him on Twitter @robertanglen. Babeu heads a department of 700 and has worked to cut the budget, reorganize leadership, and reduce the response time from his department. 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 opposes all limitations on the Second Amendment. The audit said those expenditures effectively bypassed the county's purchasing procedures, which require various levels of approval. Ariz. sheriff says he's gay after misconduct claims This summer, he made a short video saying he would not require, or ask, his staff to get vaccinated. 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. Sheriff Paul Babeu, President of the Arizona Sheriff's Association and the National Sheriff of the Year, is Arizona's youngest Sheriff and leads the third largest Sheriff's Office in the state with 700 full-time employees. 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. He says DeRose demanded the passwords to Babeu's websites and social-media accounts. 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. 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." Babeu's Twitter page still presents him as a sheriff. Lamb insists he has never said Biden did not win the election. Papi. independent local journalism in Phoenix. Paul Babeu says "drugs and stuff like that." Note: The following comments begin 1:00 into the clip. 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. RICO refers to the anti-racketeering laws that give authorities wide latitudeto seize assets in criminal cases even if charges are not filed and then fund operations with the proceeds. [5][17], Babeu has been an outspoken critic of the federal government on the issue of illegal immigration. Doug Barrett for POLITICO. PHOENIX - Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu comes out and admits he's gay on Saturday a day after he's accused of a major scandal. A three-member committee made up of a detention officer, a sheriff's sergeant and a civilian review all requests for RICO funds. He won the Republican nomination against Peter Abair. The following February, Jose Orozco, who was an undocumented immigrant, claimed that Babeu and Orozco had been lovers since meeting in 2006 on an online dating site. Auditors said the pair funneled money to community groups without proper oversight and sometimes without paperwork detailing how the money would be spent. Orozco: "Dont threat me. He barely seems to sweat. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. He was Pinal County's first Republican sheriff. According to sources with knowledge of the interviews, agents have asked about Sheriff Babeus use of a non-profit foundation run by some PCSO employees that received hundreds of thousands of dollars in funds that come from this seized criminal money. See additional photos from text-messages between Sheriff Babeu and his ex-lover. That morning I came home, and I told my wife I was gonna be a cop, he concluded. Paul Babeu, Lando Voyles seek apology, retraction from new Pinal County [16] Babeu led the third largest sheriff's office in Arizona with 700 full-time employees. Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu today ended his bid for Congress. . 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. "We're doing the best we can," Lamb said. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Forfeiture laws, in general, created a multimillion-dollar "slush fund available to (law enforcement) with little or no oversight," the lawsuit said. While he is gaining national attention, its not clear yet whether Lamb will become the law enforcement equivalent of, say, Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) or Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), but its plain that he has a similar commitment to Trumpism and desire for the spotlight, in Arizona and increasingly elsewhere. January 8, 2013 E.g. Join the New Times community and help support 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. 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. (In the two weeks after a police officer killed George Floyd in Minneapolis last year, some 10,000 protesters were arrested around the country, compared with about 600 Jan. 6 rioters so far.) Im just speaking . 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. I dont think that Black Lives Matter is productive for the Blacks, Lamb also told me. 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. [3][4], Babeu holds an associate degree in law enforcement from the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy. Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu announces run for Congress Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Records show Babeu spent more than $53,000 to send 25 people to a weeklong conference in St. Louis at which he . for 1+3, enter 4. February 16, 2012 The article also has been updated to remove information about the immigration status of the man who made the allegations. . 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. Lamb, too, is on the advisory committee, but hes also the groups most prominent public representative. Orozco admits that he lashed out on news websites featuring stories about Babeu. Requests are often limited to reimbursements and often require proof of expenses. The grand jury probe is a criminal investigation, according to a letterfrom Elizabeth Strange,the acting U.S. attorney for Arizona. In 2017, the FBI launched a probe into RICO expenditures in Pinal County and conducted an informal search of the Pinal County Sheriff's Office. We'll be in touch if we look into your question. 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. He says he commented anonymously that the sheriff was not who people thought he was. Brandon Bell/Getty Images. Another $63,772 distributed from the foundation went to public service announcements for both offices. Voyles, who is a prosecutor for the Gila River Indian Community, did not return calls. 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. . Paul Gosar - Wikipedia Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. Today its closer to 100, and a faint whisp of cloud floats in the sky, daring itself to cover the blazing sun. Join the New Times community and help support LAMBERT: Babeu says the federal government was refusing to allow Henry to both supervise federal funds in the Pinal County Sheriffs Office and run for sheriff. and make legal threats opens a Pandora's box of ethics issues for any law enforcement person or any elected person. Doug Barrett for POLITICO. FBI agents conducted an informal search of the Pinal County Sheriff's Office in March, taking items related to Babeu and his administration. The Pinal County Sheriff's Office website, which still lists Karns as leader of the Sheriff's Office Patrol Division, says of the captain: Although the board hasn't considered the matter, Karns' e-mail states that a member of Babeu's "executive staff relayed the message" to him that once he became an at-will employee, he would face termination. Please dont. 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. Orozco says Babeu told him that he loved him and was with him exclusively. 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. Arizona police seized $200 million in personal property, but where did the money go? Grand jury investigates Paul Babeu's use of RICO funds as Pinal County Doug Barrett for POLITICO. 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. RAW VIDEO: Watch Babeu talk DeSisto punishments - KNXV The law requires prosecutors to get approval from county boards of supervisors before using RICO funds. President Donald Trump, center, with Vice President Mike Pence, right, speaks during a meeting with sheriffs from around the country before leaving the White House for a trip to El Paso, Texas, in 2019. FBI probes Babeu's use of seized criminal money - KNXV Thank you for your inquiry, as you know we cannot confirm or deny the existence of investigations, said FBI Special Agent Matthew Reinsmoen. The amount was the largest to any single group over the three years, the audit said. 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.