The Bird digs up more dirt on Arpaio's henchmen soaking up the sun in Honduras

Will the real Dennis Wilenchik please step forward? Back in October, the Wily One was ready to blame the arrests on flunkies Somers and French. In a statement released to the press, he called the whole thing "the result of a miscommunication." Wilenchik wanted Lacey and Larkin only to be cited, and "if they refused to accept the citations, they could be taken to jail and booked, then cited."

This direction from Wilenchik "was apparently misunderstood by the other Special Prosecutors, which resulted in a request that the MCSO deputies arrest, book and cite Messrs. Lacey and Larkin, rather than attempting to just issue them citations."

Jasmine Hobeheidar

Jabba the Hendershott's using RICO funds to pay for his Hawaiian-shirted adventures in Honduras.

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More About

• Joe Arpaio
• Dennis Wilenchik
• Jim Larkin
• Candy Thomas
• Rob Somers

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Wilenchik maintained in the press release that the arrests were "completely legal, and some might argue more than justified." He concluded by insisting that "the County Attorney, Sheriff Arpaio and I had no personal knowledge that Messrs. Lacey and Larkin would be arrested that evening until after they were, nor would they or I have condoned such action in advance."

Thing is, Wilenchik did condone it in advance, in a legal document titled the Application for Order to Show Cause. Wilenchik submitted the application to Judge Anna Baca, presiding judge over Maricopa County grand juries, on the day that Lacey and Larkin published Wilenchik's unconstitutional and over-broad subpoenas. It demanded the arrest of Lacey, Larkin, and their lawyers, and it asked that crushing fines be imposed on New Times. In the course of a year, these fines — aimed at bankrupting the paper — would have equaled $90 million.

This doc was faxed to all parties about 2 p.m. on the same day as Lacey and Larkin's nighttime arrests. It was signed by Wilenchik, and flunky French's name appears directly beneath his then-master's.

So who's telling the truth about the arrests? French? MCSO flack Paul Chagolla, who pointed the finger at special prosecutors French and Somers as having negotiated the arrests? The Wilenchik who, at one point, e-mailed New Times concerning the authorship of the arrests, saying "Don't know. If I find out, will be back"? The Wilenchik who blamed his lieutenants? Or the Wilenchik who now says the MCSO did it?

All this cynical sandpiper's sure of is that Colonel Mustard didn't do it in the kitchen with a freakin' wrench, and that Wilenchik better be offering Rob Somers a corner office with a view and a partnership in the firm right about now.