The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is conducting some kind of operation in the east Valley today, though exactly what it is we’re not sure. A source we trust called us this morning to say Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s forces were engaged in another immigration/crime sweep in Chandler this morning…
New Times writer Paul Rubin’s detailed analysis earlier this month of the 2008 bust at Waterworld Safari (now Wet & Wild) demonstrates just how tough it’ll be to get a conviction against one of the company’s managers. To make this employer-sanctions case stick, prosecutors working for Maricopa County Attorney Andrew…
We asked for comment, we got comment — from the Sonoran Alliance blog, anyhow. Turns out Shane Wikfors (pictured), who runs the blog, considers church-mate Dan Saban a friend. Who knew? Wikfors slams the infamous attack ad on Saban as “disgusting.” And although the blog’s only unmasked cowboy (there’s also one unmasked cowgirl) doesn’t…
With the SCA scandal breaking wide open last week, we figured it was time to make another call to Bruce Ash, the Republican National Committeeman for Arizona. This time we got him on the phone, and as you’ll see, he helped clear up a couple of nagging questions we had…
Arizona Senator John McCain is getting credit from Merriam-Webster Inc. for the company’s inclusion of a new definition of “earmark” in the dictionary. The company recently added about 100 words to its dictionary, including “sock puppet,” “staycation,” and “zip line.” Arizona may have missed out on some of its own…
Tim Nelson Twelve attorneys and 17 support staff members at the Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard’s office will get pink slips, but not the three high-profile hires made this year by Goddard. Anne Hilby, Goddard’s spokeswoman, confirmed for New Times that among those who won’t be losing their jobs are:…
We’re not saying Captain Joel Fox is wrong about everything. Turns out he’s right on the issue of whether the SCA contributions were, in fact, “payroll deductions.” Although the reports filed by Fox say “payroll deductions,” Fox says in comments to this blog that they were actually nothing more than…
Captain Joel Fox hasn’t been honest with us. Here’s what Fox posted to our blog in February about the $105,000 contribution to the Arizona Republican Party that came from the SCA: None of the money came from Arpaio,or Hendershott or Arpaio’s campaign, or anyone associated with Arpaio’s campaign, nor did…
Just hung up from one of our trusty “Deep Throat” sources who tells us the FBI is highly interested in the Sheriff’s Command Association case. Our source says New Times articles this morning about the men behind the SCA donations were forwarded to the local FBI office. An FBI agent soon…
The revelation today that top deputies at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office were behind the shadowy SCA shows Sheriff Arpaio and his minions “aren’t willing to come out and have a fair fight,” says Arpaio’s longtime political opponent, Dan Saban. Saban (pictured) ran against Arpaio in 2008 as a Democrat and was slammed with one of the…
We sent Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio a question on Twitter about the newly uncovered SCA donors that include his top brass. No response yet. We left messages for Arpaio and his chief deputy, Dave Hendershott — one of the SCA’s top donors — but they didn’t return calls. Instead,…
Captain Joel Fox (at right) doesn’t have to worry about a $315,000 fine, but the legal woes for him and other SCA contributors may not be over. A settlement agreement between Fox and the Maricopa County Elections Department drops the main case against him, though the process of uncovering the SCA’s…
Plenty of noise has been made today about the arrest of Raphael Libardi, owner of a granite-importing business busted on suspicion of identity theft. A news release by Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas calls it a “historic first.” An Associated Press article calls Libardi the “first business owner in Arizona…
A private eye hired by the Recording Industry Association of America called the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office for help with pirated movies, leading to the arrests of two illegal immigrants.Two women in their 20s, Karina Romero-Figueroa, 24 and Judith Romero-Figueroa, [both pictured below], were busted at “the Mercado” near U.S…
Janet Napolitano, U.S. Homeland Security Security, announced today that federal contractors must use the E-Verify program to help weed out illegal immigrants.Arizona law already requires use of the federal program for any business making a new hire and in state government contract work. About a third of businesses reportedly use…
It sounds like Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has really turned up the heat on illegal immigrants. We did a double-take this morning after reading the following stat online. But then we saw the statement that Arpaio handed out yesterday at a news conference, which had the same figure:The sheriff’s…
This building on Broadway Road used to house Hustler Hollywood Tempe. It couldn’t find customers, and now it’s becoming — a preschool. What is the world coming to? …
Okay, there are a few things about Ruth McClung we like right off the bat: She’s a rock climber. She likes the Beatles. She paints flowers. But, c’mon. Raul Grijalva isn’t even going to break a sweat. McClung’s running for Congress against Grijalva, a four-time incumbent Democrat from Congressional District…
State House Speaker Kirk Adams, a Mesa Republican, has launched a series of YouTube videos that explain Arizona’s budget crisis — from the point of view of Republican legislators like him, of course. Sonoran Alliance, (where we first read about the videos), calls the series a public-relations offensive. Adams has apparently decided Governor Jan…
The State Senate is scheduled to vote today on a bill that would prohibit Arizona schools from offering classes that encourage “ethnic solidarity.” The bill also bans classes “designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group.” Pushed by state schools chief Tom Horne, its main target is a $2-million “Raza Studies”…
The Arizona Supreme Court today decided not to force lawmakers to send Governor Jan Brewer a budget bill she wants to veto, but only because lawmakers said they’d send the bill in five days. Brewer’s argument — that the State Legislature should not be allowed to hold back on sending the…
So-called “Border Czar” Alan Bersin and other Homeland Security officials met with state Attorney General Terry Goddard today to discuss how to get different agencies working better together. During the meeting, Bersin (pictured above) reportedly called Arizona, “the most lawless corridor on the Southwest border.” We have no idea what…
