Arizona: Arpaio

It’s been less than 11 month since he was elected to his fifth-consecutive term in office, but Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is already soliciting more funds for another campaign.
In a letter Arpaio sent to supporters last week, the sheriff painstakingly lays out the vast left-wing conspiracy working against him - name dropping Rev. Al Sharpton, President Barack Obama, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and ACORN along with a few media outlets - and says he’s in need of financial support to fight these forces.
To reiterate the threat Sharpton poses (he’s visited Phoenix twice this year ...

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Time once again to update the early filers with the Arizona Secretary of State for 2010. You can play along at home at http://www.azsos.gov/cfs/CommitteeSearch.aspx

Since the last update, Paradise Valley Mayor Vernon Parker, a Republican, has been receiving a lot of media attention as he explores running for goveror PV mayor forms exploratory panel on run for governor, not all of it welcome PV Mayor Vernon Parker: Accused by Feds of false filing « Seeing Red AZ. State Treasurer Dean Martin, a Republican, is also considering running for governor State Treasurer Dean Martin considers a run for governor. Former Arizona Republican Party Chairman and Republican National Commiteeman John Munger told Bill Buckmaster of KUAT's Arizona Illustrated on Monday that he is leaving the segment "Face Off" and would have an announcement shortly about a new direction in his life, looking like the cat who swallowed the canary.

We’ve been down this road before, but people are talking again about the chances of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio running for governor in 2010.
For reasons why Arpaio would make a strong candidate, supporters point to: Arpaio’s track record, his name recognition, the cash he had leftover from his last race (about $67,000) plus whatever he’s raised since.
For reasons why Arpaio would make a weak candidate, critics point to: Arpaio’s track record, his name recognition, the fact that one of his top staff members is under investigation for breaking political fundraising laws (along with fraud and money laundering), the a ...

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Under threat of a $315,000 fine from the Maricopa County Elections Department, Captain Joel Fox of MCSO finally stopped stonewalling and divulged the names of contributors to the Sheriff's Command Association or SCA.  Developer, former  owner of the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team, and close pal of Sheriff Joe, Steve Ellman was one of the largest contributors.  A lot of out of state money was involved, as well as payroll deductions from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.  Some of these contributions may well be illegal.  

Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office is denying any involvement in SCA fund raising activities despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.