PHOENIX (AP) – The sheriff of metropolitan Phoenix built his reputation around defying those who said it wasn’t his job to enforce immigration laws. But Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s stubborn streak is catching up with him – and taxpayers will foot the bill.
The six-term sheriff learns in court hearings set to begin Thursday whether he’ll face civil fines for disobeying a judge’s orders in a racial profiling case and whether he’ll later be called into criminal court on the same grounds.
Maricopa County will have spent $125 million by next summer defending Arpaio against lawsuits during his 22 years as sheriff. That includes $50 million in the profiling case alone and $74 million in judgments, settlements and legal fees for the sheriff’s office, covering things like lawsuits over deaths in his jails and the lawman’s failed investigations of political enemies. This week’s resumption of hearings, which began in April, could add to those bills.
“At what level do we have to spend on the sheriff’s actions before there is a huge outcry by the public?” said Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo, a longtime Arpaio critic who serves on the board that approves spending of tax dollars in the profiling case.
The taxpayer costs haven’t diminished Arpaio’s popularity enough to drive him out of office. His political strength has dipped over the years, but his devoted base of supporters and impressive fundraising helped him pull out wins. He spent $8 million in his 2012 re-election campaign and has $2 million on hand in his race next year for a seventh term.