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Len Munsil, a conservative activist who ran against former Governor Janet Napolitano in 2006, was once investigated by Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s corrupt anti-corruption unit.
In the “Trifecta case,” as it was called by Arpaio’s minions on the Maricopa Anti-Corruption Enforcement team, Munsil was investigated for supposed improprieties stemming from the 2006 race.
The revelation comes from MCSO Sergeant Brandon Luth, as seen on page 572 of the 1,021-page summary of the investigative report by Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu’s office.
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“Allegations against Munsil included illegal transfer of funds, lying in political campaigns, and telemarketing issues,” the report states.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: July 25, 2011 — Report shows that Luth misspoke to Babeu’s investigators, or maybe the investigators misquoted him. Munsil was considered to be the alleged victim in the probe. Click here for more info.
Arpaio was once a political ally of Napolitano’s, supporting the former U.S. Attorney in 2002 after she whitewashed a federal probe of misconduct within the jail system he ran.
The ultra-political MACE team apparently tried to keep up Arpaio’s end of the rumored bargain four years later by going after Napolitano’s competition.
However, the Munsil investigation was handled differently than other MACE inquiries that were heralded publicly by Arpaio. Instead of simply smearing his name with pretend evidence, as had been done to Superior Court Judge Gary Donahoe, MACE kept the Munsil probe quiet. A list of cases pursued by MACE compiled by the Arizona Republic in 2009 doesn’t mention the Munsil case, which probably means the Sheriff’s Office didn’t comply fully with the Repub’s records request for all of the MACE cases.
Whether evidence of crimes was uncovered, we don’t know. We put in a public-records request with the MCSO this morning to see the file.
Munsil didn’t return a message we left for him last night.
