Maricopa County is Arizona’s most populous County. It’s where Phoenix is located and a five-man elected board known as The Board of Supervisors governs it. Along with Sheriff Joe Arpaio (aka Tent City Joe) and County Attorney Andrew Thomas, these three supposedly independent bodies are to protect and serve the citizens…but it never works out that way. Like two dweebs who never get any pussy, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas huddle in a back room somewhere, hatching plans regarding whom Arpaio can arrest and whom Thomas can indict. It’s basically a tag team Arizona-style and anyone who gets in their way better watch out.
Their latest punching bag is Supervisor Don Stapley. On November 20, 2008, a Maricopa County grand jury handed down a 118-count indictment of multiple felonies that accused Stapley of perjury, forgery, false swearing and filing an incomplete and/or false financial disclosure statement for offenses dating from 1994 to 2008. This indictment was the culmination of an investigation conducted by Operation MACE, a joint anti-corruption task force run by the Sheriff’s Office and County Attorney’s Office.
Led by Don Stapley, The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has had many conflicts and power struggles with Thomas, accusing him (unofficially) of using the office for personal gain, conducting selective prosecution, and pursuing expensive investigations against certain people based simply on personal vendettas.
But it’s a bad idea to piss Thomas off. When he ran for and lost the Attorney General’s election to Terry Goddard in 2002, he soon thereafter set his sites on Goddard, wasting a fortune on trumped up charges of fraud that never went anywhere. From there he chucked the founder of The New Times and his executive editor in jail in the middle of the night on misdemeanor charges of leaking grand jury secrets. The true reason behind the midnight raids to the publisher and editor’s homes was that The New Times is always highly critical of Thomas and Sheriff Joe. Those charges were also quickly dropped as a shit storm of public outcry followed.
When indictments against Stapley were announced though, Phoenicians weren’t super outraged. After all, this is the State where all political figureheads are corrupt. Let’s run through some recent greatest hits. Former Governor Ed Mecham (a used car dealer) rescinded the state holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr., was quoted that there was nothing wrong with calling black children “pickaninnies,” that working women cause divorce, and that Jews should face up to the fact that the United States is a Christian nation. Dude was later impeached. Then there was Governor Fife Symington who in 1997 was convicted on six felony counts of bank and wire fraud. Dude had to resign and eventually became a pastry chef.
Certainly that was some serious political shit from the past, but when you read Stapley’s 39-page indictment you sort of scratch your head because it appears that all Stapley did was make some pretty harmless paperwork errors. Specifically, Stapley listed his real estate investment company on financial disclosure forms with the County but during that same time period, he failed to list the company’s real estate holdings. Perhaps a violation but come on…totally lame.
By April of 2009, as legal fees mounted for both Stapley and us citizens (we foot the cost of the County Attorney’s prosecution), Stapley was able to seek a change of venue as people argued that Thomas had conflict of interest issues (duh) and the case was moved to Yavapai County about 100 miles north of Phoenix. By August 2009, Stapley’s lawyers were able to convince Judge Kenneth Field to drop 51 counts on technicalities. The dismissed charges were based on the indictment that stated Stapley “failed to disclose property or business interest as required under a ‘Maricopa County Rule or Resolution adopted January 20, 1994,’” The Judge’s minute entry for reaching his conclusion is simple and reads, “There is no such rule or resolution that was adopted on that date by Maricopa County, only a motion to ‘update’ financial disclosure forms for elected officials.”
What the fuck? What lame-ass County Attorney failed to realize that?
So, with that victory in the bag, Stapley was feeling like the cock of the walk even though he still had a boatload of charges to deal with.
But Thomas and Arpaio were not to be outfoxed. One morning in late September, as Stapley pulled into the downtown Phoenix garage of a Maricopa County office building, he was ambushed by Sheriff Arpaio and his deputies Ashton Kutcher-style; they handcuffed and arrested him for another 93 new felonies, all relating to fraudulent schemes involving his mortgage and loan businesses, campaign account fraud, tax return fraud, and campaign fraud.
The joint press release from Thomas and Arpaio’s office stated, “The arrest occurred about 9:30 AM in the county administration parking garage. Stapley appeared agitated and said to deputies, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’”
And here’s the good part: Stapley was arrested without a grand jury trial, without being indicted first, and without a prosecutor assigned to the case. Can you say “personal vendetta?”
While no one is claiming that Stapley is a choirboy, this was just pure bullshit. Sheriff Joe and County Attorney Thomas are now sitting back, smirking, and quietly watching events unfold.
Tags: cahoots, County Attorney Andrew Thomas, Maricopa County, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Tent City
Seems like a real A-Team they got there in AZ. Minus B.A. Baracus, naturally.
G.I. Joe! The great american a-hoe.
What is it with AZ? You guys are a freaking joke and Christian Thompson.. are the pied piper of digging up dirt?
Other than sunshine, are there any redeeming qualities in our State? This is an embarrassment.
I used to love reading history books about what Benjamin Franklin and all those protestant and quaker dudes did in their spare time (tea parties and all that) but these guys are just out of fucking control!
I cant believe Christian keeps finding things like this to write about but Arizona must one isolated country of bumpkins and freaks.
Im astonished by AZ… no more need be said.
i need a fucking drink after reading this. Arizona needs another Jim Jones to pass the Cool-Aid around. How can anyone live there?
And now the power hungry maniac is running for AZ Attorney General!! Time 4 everyone 2 leave the state.
Colorado is juts up the road. Come on.. all hot AZ girls are welcome.
Because we have Bit Billionaires! http://www.myspace.com/bitbillionaires
“After all, this is the State where all political figureheads are corrupt.”‘
Mecham and Symington–that’s two. What about Raul Grijalva, Gabriel Giffords, Phil Gordon (who’s publicly declared his hate for Arpaio), and Janet Napolitano?
Sheriff Joe is a rotten fuckface, but don’t try to make Arizona sound like some lawless cowboy shithole just to get lemmings from the coasts clicking and bitching about a place they’ve never even been.
To the dude above me. you are a moron.. Az is a lawless shithole
If I were you Christian Thompson, Id be hiding now.
Christian.. you and Hamilton Morris are my favorite Vice writers. He’s insanely stoned and you are funny and a dead on fact boy in a sick way. meow!
Dudes a dick.
plain and simple
Like the dude above said, you better run Christian cause you cant hide from these motherfuckers.
Lets raise a posse. I’ve got some rope and a tin star.
Vice aint gonna help you when the shit goes down at midnight when Sheriff Joe comes a knock-in on your door. Thomas’s paperwork will follow. Hope you know a good lawyer fool.
AZ may be a lawless shithole, yes, but we gave you Calexico. You all love Calexico. More than we do.
I cannot believe Arizona has graduated from a governor who was a used car dealer and a prejudice dickwad to these two keystone cops. Barney Fife and Elmer Pudd. What’s next week?
If next month’s story on Arizona confirms that Jeffrey Dahmer, Son of Sam, The Zodiac Killer and Charles Manson are all from Phoenix I wouldn’t even question it.
Christian Thompson is pretty much the greatest journalist in America.
Why cant you write something good about the state like our strippers and put your style on it. Now that I would read twice.
VICE: Give this man a section in the magazine, immediately! He’s like a young, edgier Hunter S. Thompson. I WANT MORE!
It is not hyperbole to state that Christian Thompson should bear my children. I’m thinking maybe 12 of them.
Scott’s dead on. Hunter never died: He lives on in Christian!
Never have I read something quite as hard-hitting as this story on Viceland. My only complaint is I can’t get enough! Christian Thompson posts every day!
Excuse me. Has anyone thought of the legal ramifications of publishing a story like this? I mean, this is seriously groundbreaking shit and could make and/or break entire careers.
Christian, I just got off the horn with CNN. They want more man! Go pound that hot Scottsdale pavement and bring back the goods!
Has Christian Thompson compiled a book of his earth-shattering reportage yet? Can’t wait to get my hands on it. Do you think the maestro himself would sign a copy for me?
I want Christian to tag-team me, Arizona style!!
You people praising Christian Thompson (if that is in fact his real name–if it is you can bet he will be HUNTED DOWN by the Maricopa county officials) are going way too far. This is complete bullshit and he should be ashamed of criticizing the government in this way. I hope you go to jail Christian Thompson, and stay there.
Is Christian as attractive as he is intelligent?
Hey horse nut you are the biggest idiot I’ve ever seen! How do you not see the importance of Christians work? SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER!
Christian
Fear and Loathing in Arizona? Even Hunter couldnt make up this shit. You will never run out of material in that state-probably have enough already to write War and Peace
Always embarrassing to be reminded of Arizona’s laundry list of shady politics. Amusingly, most who do end up in the crossfires, typically end up in luxury prisons where they are free to pursue hobbies and constructive, time consuming interests (ala Fife’s post-office attempts in the culinary arts).
But the blood fueds orchestrated by bedfellows Arpaio and Thomas bring bastardly behavior to new lows, if that’s even imaginable. Keep informing readers of such heinous ridiculousness.
-Jaime’ En Fuego
Arizona is the best reality show on Vice TV right now
To add to the greatest hits of corrupt Arizona politicians: the Keating Five (remember the Savings and Loan Scandal? The one where Bush Sr.’s other son Neil got busted and John McCain was censured?), Richard Renzi, Bobby Raymond, Jesus Higuera, Carolyn Walker, Sue Laybe, Barry Goldwater!