"But that didn't rise to the level of criminal activity.". Once elected, Lamb promised he would focus on building relationships within the county. 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. But now Reveles is among those Pinal County residents who say Lambs involvement in politics and entertainment has gone too far, distracting him from the job he was elected to do and perhaps even influencing how he does it. Senator John McCain, who called Babeu his friend. [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. Contact ABC15 Investigator Dave Biscobing at dbiscobing@abc15.com. [32] O'Halleran defeated Babeu, receiving 51% of the vote to Babeu's 44%. The message: Sheriffs are here to protect your freedom including freedom from your own democratically elected government. Sheriff Paul Babeu is the Sheriff of Pinal County in Arizona. Some locals here say he is focused more on playing a sheriff in the national spotlight than serving his constituents. Another man walking by said, The sheriff is a good dude. Everyone gathered for a picture, just one more. Republican Mark Lamb succeeded Babeu as sheriff.[34][35]. [28] He was re-elected by a large margin on November 6, 2012. Raymond Babeu was a longtime employee of the area's electric utility who was also active in local politics. Time on the screen says 5:02 p.m. . 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. 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. Fight Night: How Phoenix Became a Hotbed for Mixed Martial Arts Champions, Super Fans, Mascot Mania, and All-Stars: Suns and Nuggets Get Ready to Rumble, Katie Hobbs Gets Singed After Unwrapping Tamale-tastrophe, New Attainable Not Necessarily Affordable Housing Coming to Downtown Phoenix, I Love the Rivalry: Fans Soak Up U.S.-Mexico Soccer Showdown in the Valley. [1][6], Babeu served as headmaster and later as executive director the DeSisto School in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, a school for troubled youths, from 1999 to 2001. Congressman and have endorsed one of his rivals for the GOP primary in Arizona's First. 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. Keating says her JP sibling had been living at the house Babeu is selling until recently, perhaps renting from the. | Doug Barrett for POLITICO. In cases where money is distributed in advance, recipients must show it was used for the specific request. . Doug Barrett for POLITICO. If you're the victim of fraud, waste or abuse, reach him at robert.anglen@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8694. Instead, his pro-sheriff messaging with media savvy and Trump-y politics thrown in the mix seems designed for a wider audience. . The amount was the largest to any single group over the three years, the audit said. A notice of claim -- a precursor to a lawsuit -- usually is filled with enough details to establish the basis for a lawsuit, and probably would reveal details about this fresh rift between Karns and Babeu, seemingly one-time allies. Initially, Lamb worked in pest control, with a focus on pigeons. See additional photos from text-messages between Sheriff Babeu and his ex-lover. "What we're focused on is making sure we're as transparent as possible," he said. Records showBabeu spent more than $53,000 to send 25 people to a weeklong conference in St. Louisat which he received a national award. Those who are classified as "at-will" employees do not. Later, rioters broke a window as they yelled out for Doug Ducey, the Republican governor who had certified Bidens victory in Arizona. 6:00AM. Thank you for your inquiry, as you know we cannot confirm or deny the existence of investigations, said FBI Special Agent Matthew Reinsmoen. Sheriffs in almost every state operate independently with limited oversight, giving them the freedom to engage in political advocacy and appear in the media. 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. 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. [25] Babeu came out as gay on February 18, 2012, saying that his sexual orientation was the only factual statement from the allegations. The spokesman confirmed that Babeu would continue to run for U.S. Visit his site and learn more today! 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. Newly elected Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer said he also has asked the Arizona auditor general to review Pinal County's asset-forfeiture records to determine if monies were properly used. Photos by Doug Barrett/@400northcreative for Politico Magazine. 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. 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. local news and culture, Stephen Lemons Lamb has appeared multiple times with Trump at the White House and other political events. In public, Lamb commands attention. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The relationship soured, and Orozco believes that Babeu sent DeRose after him. 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. Babeu isa Republican who made border security a top issue in his two losing attempts to win a seat in Congress. Two of Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu's siblings believe their brother is unfit to be a U.S. He said his own review of RICO funds indicated past requests were made in round numbers and did not require itemization. including yourself & your family. He lost in the general election to Democrat Andrea F. Nuciforo, Jr. Please dont. Lamb insists he has never said Biden did not win the election. Lamb said a recent major request involved $50,000 to pay for computer equipment that will allow investigators to download large amounts of data from cell phones, laptops and other electronic devices without inhibiting use. And I will serve the people where I can.. I love America. Shutterstock. Another patron of the diner walked by. 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. All rights reserved. | Robert Tsai, a constitutional law professor at Boston University, told me he sees Protect America Now as political in nature an effort to leverage sheriffs in mainstream Republican politics, while also branding [sheriffs] for future political careers. Lamb says Protect America Now is not a political organization, but that its efforts are viewed as political sometimes. Yet Protect America Now, a 501(c)4, was founded in June 2020 by a group that includes Nathan Sproul, an Arizona-based Republican strategist. independent local journalism in Phoenix. The Goldwater Institute, a conservative watchdog group, raised concerns about the foundation last year and sought records to determine if Babeu was using it to bypass campaign-finance laws and promote his 2016 congressional campaign. "We never found proof of criminal activity," he said. There are restrictions about how these funds can be used. Sheriff Paul Babeu is a decorated lawman, Iraq war veteran, and a corruption fighter. Both could face federal criminal charges. How a city councilman from New England became a darling of Republicans nationwide. Babeu is vice president of the Arizona Sheriffs' Association[15] and was named the National Sheriff of the Year in 2011 by the National Sheriffs' Association. 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. Lamb, who was elected in 2017, said money stopped flowing to theArizona Public Safety Foundation, which recently ceased operation. | Doug Barrett for POLITICO. Lately, Lamb has been supporting the campaign of Kari Lake, a Trump-endorsed former Fox anchor running for Arizonas open governors seat in 2022. A three-member committee made up of a detention officer, a sheriff's sergeant and a civilian review all requests for RICO funds. The new FBI interviews are the latest issue to hit Babeu as he attempts a second run for Congress. 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. He says he commented anonymously that the sheriff was not who people thought he was. 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. Lamb says the new network is important because we just felt like it was important to give [sheriffs] their voice back. When I asked if Lamb was concerned about a repeat of what happened in Texas, Vale dismissed it saying that lots of things are out of [the sheriffs] control. One episode features deputies tasing new recruits as part of their training, and watching as they scream pain. Weve come to the range because shooting is Lambs favorite pastime. Babeu ran for Arizona's 4th congressional district in the 2012 elections to the United States House of Representatives but withdrew and came out as gay after a personal controversy. Babeu was tapping RICO funds to pay for Sheriff's Office travel as early as 2011. 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. [21] After an Arizona Republic newspaper report, the Defense Logistics Agency directed Babeu "to retrieve vehicles and other equipment his office distributed to non-police organizations".[22]. Arizona police seized $200 million in personal property, but where did the money go? "We're doing the best we can," Lamb said. He barely seems to sweat. Lamb fires his service pistol, a Glock 34. The article also has been updated to remove information about the immigration status of the man who made the allegations. Doug Barrett for POLITICO, Lamb went through a variety of jobs, including running a paintball business in Utah that ultimately failed. 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. Lamb chalked that up to an accountants error. Doug Barrett for POLITICO. The decision comes months after state auditors found Babeu and Voyles mismanaged more than $2 million in so-called racketeering, or RICO,funds. | The spokesperson also took time to praise Lambs messaging skills, calling him a unicorn., Lamb stands in front of a memorial to honor fallen sheriffs in Pinal County. After the relationship ended, Orozco claims that Babeu threatened Orozco with deportation to guarantee his silence. Im already hurt me . Become a member to support the independent voice of Phoenix A federal grand jury is investigating how the Pinal County Sheriffs Office handled profits from seized property under former Sheriff Paul Babeu. Karns, however, would have faced a nearly $15,000 pay cut. Earlier in March, Gaffney also barred this reporter from entering a press conference held by Sheriff Babeu in a public building. ", 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. Babeu and Voyles mismanaged more than $2 million, the FBI launched a probe into RICO expenditures, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The audit also found that $151,645 of the community outreachmonies awarded to the foundation went to unauthorized uses benefiting the County Attorney or Sheriff's Office programs. He says he once wrote a comment on Chino Valley eNews (on which Babeu had an account), where gay men arrange sexual liaisons. "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. [2] Pinal County Sheriffs Office Director of Administration Tim Gaffney sent ABC15 a written statement denying that there is any open investigation into their office. A staunch conservative, Republican Babeu has made his stance on illegal immigration known to the nation as he fights for stricter laws. Stephen is a former staff writer and columnist at, Become a member to support the independent voice of Phoenix Paul Raymond Babeu (pronounced BAB-you; [1] born February 3, 1969) is an American law enforcement officer, politician and member of the Republican Party who was sheriff of Pinal County, Arizona, from January 1, 2009, to January 1, 2017. While Lamb has gotten more and more scrutiny in Arizona, he has mostly brushed it off. Once approved, the requests are sent to the county attorney's office for review by another committee. Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu who became the face of Arizona border security nationally after he started stridently opposing illegal immigration threatened his Mexican ex-lover with. Arizona's forfeiture laws direct proceeds into the coffers of the prosecutors and law-enforcement agencies involved in seizing the items. [29], On August 31, 2012, the Arizona solicitor general exonerated Babeu after an investigation. Jessica Pishko is a writer and a lawyer who is working on a book about sheriffs. 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. Babeu heads a department of 700 and has worked to cut the budget, reorganize leadership, and reduce the response time from his department. In this case, he's both.". The decision by the AG's Office doesn't mean Babeu and Voyles have been cleared of wrongdoing. Privacy Policy | FCC Public File | Contest Rules Join the New Times community and help support Perhaps Paul Babeu, the Arizona sheriff and former Romney campaign manager, should spend more time studying the Republican Party's approach to gay rights. A local newspaper also accused him of having an affair with a woman who died over the summer in a car accident, but Lamb denies that he has been involved with any women outside his marriage. We dont go to a shooting range as much as an open, sandy field that Lamb says belongs to a friend of his. 6:31PM. 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. Lamb says the network takes its inspiration from Live PD, an A&E show that ran from 2016 until 2020, when it was canceled after deputies in Williamson County, Texas, were caught on camera tasing a man named Javier Ambler, and ultimately killing him. This summer, he made a short video saying he would not require, or ask, his staff to get vaccinated. 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. Follow him on Twitter @robertanglen. Ultimately, many residents of Pinal County, which voted 58 percent for Trump in 2020, align politically with Lamb. [5][17], Babeu has been an outspoken critic of the federal government on the issue of illegal immigration. 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. They said he accused them of criminal conduct. The trailer for the new network features lots of shots of Lamb, his profile against a desert sunset as the camera pans slowly over the shadows of cacti. The source: Babeu's sister Lucy. [26] Babeu stepped down as co-chair of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign in Arizona, but received the continued support of U.S. Charismatic and ambitious, Mark Lamb embodies a new kind of Trump-era lawman. FLORENCE, Ariz. The first thing to know about Mark Lamb, the sheriff of Pinal County, Arizona, is that he just plain looks like a sheriff. | During a July interview at a local caf here decked out in Old West paraphernalia, passersby interrupted to clasp hands heartily with him and chat. 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. Melissa Weiss-Riner, Orozco's attorney, confirms her client's account. ABC15 has learned agents in the FBI . "That's just the worst kind of hypocrisy. But in a solidly conservative part of Arizona, Lamb so far has had plenty of leeway for more and more activities outside the county. KJZZ is a service of Rio Salado College, and Maricopa Community Colleges Lamb won office the same year Sheriff Arpaio was defeated in Maricopa. For example, nearly $88,000 went to programs designed to boost morale or provide recreation for the Sheriff's Office such as golf outings or tickets to sporting events and banquets. | Become a member to support the independent voice of Phoenix 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. Better get an attorney. "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. [23] He ran against one-term Representative Paul Gosar, who had been elected to the state's 1st congressional district in 2010. Descended from a long line of Mormons and still an unabashed member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he grew up all over the world, he is fond of saying, including the Philippines, Panama and Argentina, where he did his Mormon mission. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. "[10] Babeu was not named in any allegation during the investigation by the state. Forfeiture laws, in general, created a multimillion-dollar "slush fund available to (law enforcement) with little or no oversight," the lawsuit said.

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