Joe Arpaio has always bragged that he wants the feds to "come on down," like in The Price Is Right. This week, they're taking him up on his offer.
One of the news outlets Joe loves to leak stuff to, aka the Arizona Republic, just posted a little ditty on its Political Insider blog, informing the public that, "At least half a dozen investigators with the U.S. Justice Department arrived at Arpaio's downtown
The Political Insider also names some of the feds' names:
"Elizabeth Keenan, a deputy section chief with the department, Patrick Chang, a deputy chief in the department's civil-rights division and Shanetta Cutlar, the chief of the special litigation section."
My sources tell me that DOJ representatives will also be monitoring the upcoming May 2 Walk for Respect, though I don't know if they're the same as the ones who visited Joe today. I've also been told that DOJ investigators will be meeting with anti-Arpaio activists.
Also, representatives from the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General, and DHS' Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties will be in town tomorrow to meet with several activist groups, according to intelligence I've received. They are specifically inquiring into problems with the 287(g) program, and are looking to document cases of MCSO abuse.
Finally, sources in Guadalupe tell me that in the last two weeks or so, the FBI has been discussing possible MCSO civil rights violations with some residents and victims of harassment.
It's encouraging to hear that the feds are moving on these various investigations involving the MCSO. Whether or not these inquiries will bear fruit remains to be seen.
