Months earlier, the MCSO had received a tip about undocumented workers employed on the city's cleaning crew. According to Mesa spokesman Steve Wright, a "disgruntled" computer technician who was about to be fired because of an e-mail prank tipped off Arpaio's office.
The technician, Chuck Wilson, had also told a Mesa police lieutenant, Wade Pew, about the issue in May. Pew and another city official later met with a representative of the cleaning company, which made assurances that all the workers were legal. Despite the warning, city officials then dropped the ball by failing to verify the identities of workers who had access to sensitive areas.
Deputies in full combat regalia at the Mesa public library.
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Arpaio took the opportunity to stage an invasion of Mesa government rather than work with city officials on a civil level.
It was a troubling exercise of authority for some Valley residents, no doubt. But no general cry and hue went up from other Valley mayors or city council members, whose city halls could be violated next.
Arpaio's antics this month have been broadcast far and wide, but not in a positive way.
The New York Times took notice of the Mesa raid, publishing an op-ed column condemning it last week. Worse for Arpaio's national image was the horrific video of the jail beating death, first broadcast last week by Channel 5 (KPHO) and since aired in New York, Denver, Seattle, and other major cities.
The video seems to support allegations that the jail is plagued by gangs and poor security. Pete Van Winkle, a member of the Aryan Brotherhood, has been charged in the murder.
Robert Cotton, the inmate who was beaten to death, wasn't a gang member or even a violent criminal — he was in jail on charges of auto theft. As the video clearly shows, no guards rushed to help Cotton, until it was too late. Though the beating was taped, sheriff's officials admit no one was watching the monitor at the time.
Cotton's family is suing Arpaio for $2 million. The lawsuit is one of more than 2,500 filed against Arpaio, federal and county court dockets show. Payouts of taxpayer funds because of county jail deaths and injuries during Arpaio's tenure already top $43 million.
A few weeks before the video of the beating surfaced, the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, which performs the only third-party oversight of the Maricopa County jails, yanked the facilities' accreditation. The national group says jail conditions are poor and that sheriff's officials did not provide them with correct information for an audit.
It would seem that none of this is healthy publicity for Arpaio, de Berge says. But Dan Saban, Arpaio's competitor for the sheriff's seat, hasn't taken full advantage of the onslaught.
The former Buckeye police chief did go after Arpaio following a sleazy, primetime ad that recalled bogus allegations of rape against him and also mentioned Saban's courtroom admission that he once masturbated on county time. In a retaliatory ad, Saban called Arpaio a "lying coward."
Yet de Berge says Saban's counterattack, as well as other statements Saban's made, come off as too personalized "when he really ought to be talking about law enforcement."
Saban's still got a few days to make his case. And if the past three weeks are any indication, Arpaio still has time to keep making a strong case for why he should be defeated at the polls.
