“I work in state politics and co-founded a right-wing organization that’s already called Nazis/alt-right,” he said in leaked social media chats published in 2019 by New Times. Decuyper enthused along with a crowd of hundreds in Orlando, Florida, in February when Arpaio took the stage at the America First Political Action Conference and told the crowd that he was often called the “biggest racist in the country.” “We’re in a tough position with the Blacks,” Arpaio said in a recorded inter- view, adding he was a good candidate for Fountain Hills mayor because “I used to go lock up illegals in this town.” As Lemons, the political columnist put it, “He’s one of the most successful politi- cians in Arizona history. Unfortunately, it’s for all the wrong reasons.” No Such Thing As Bad Publicity Few people understand that better than journalists. Arpaio, the self-styled “America’s Toughest Sheriff,” doled out a $3.75 million settlement in 2013 to New Times co-founders Michael Lacey and Jim Larkin, whose false arrests in 2007 were orchestrated by Arpaio. Plainclothes cops in unmarked cars with Mexican license plates took Lacey and Larkin from their homes in the middle of the night after the editors published Arpaio’s home address, a public record. The address was published in a story about Arpaio’s commercial real estate empire, questioning how a county sheriff could amass so much cash to invest in property and why records of the transac- tions were hidden from public view. “There was no check on Arpaio’s authority. He arrested whoever he wanted to,” Lemons said. “People were afraid. It’s a dangerous situation, especially when someone is as vindictive as Arpaio is. He’s living proof that the good die young.” Arpaio’s feud with Lacey and Larkin is the tip of the iceberg. Mike Watkiss, a veteran investigative crime reporter at Phoenix’s KTVK “HE WAS AFRAID I WAS GOING TO ASK HIM A QUESTION ... THE KNUCKLE- DRAGGING INNER POSSE THAT WORKED FOR THE SHERIFF CORRALLED US IN A LITTLE ROOM AND LOCKED THE GODDAMNED DOOR.” — MIKE WATKISS, VETERAN INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER Pablo Robles Channel 3, who cameoed as an ace reporter in the 1994 screwball comedy hit movie Dumb and Dumber, was tossed from a public press conference in 2015 because “he was afraid I was going to ask him a question,” he said. “I got detained by some of Joe’s thugs,” Watkiss told New Times. “Joe had a bullshit dog-and-pony show for himself. The knuckle-dragging inner posse that worked for the sheriff corralled us in a little room and locked the goddamned door.” Watkiss demanded to be arrested or let go, and he was released. A memo that surfaced in a 2013 Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office investigation revealed Watkiss was the only person on Arpaio’s “no-fly list,” which barred journalists from press conferences. Kiefer, the Republic reporter, was tailed while writing about how Arpaio’s crony, then-Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, threatened bodily harm against the county’s longtime presiding criminal court judge, Gary Donahoe. Thomas brought unfounded and malicious criminal charges against him and three other judges. That led the Arizona Supreme Court to disbar Thomas. Arpaio recently called Donahoe a “corrupt George Soros puppet.” Arpaio’s ire turned to the press who covered the dispute. “I was being followed around. It felt like the mafia,” said Kiefer, one of two journal- ists present when Arpaio received the news of his presidential pardon at his Fountain Hills home. “There would be a white pickup truck following me home. If I was having a drink, people who looked particularly cop-like stood next to me, initiating conversation and being weird.” At one time, Kiefer watched over his Republic colleague’s shoulder as her mouse cursor moved by itself, opening and closing documents, he said. Still, he sent Arpaio condolences when his wife of 63 years, Ava, died suddenly last year. “Despite the abominable things he does, he’s a lot of fun,” Kiefer said. “He’s a likable guy.” Arpaio’s demeanor kept him in the media’s good graces and allowed him to chase the press spotlight, which he did famously. He has meticulously clipped every newspaper article mentioning his name “since I was born,” he said, and keeps the collection in his Fountain Hills campaign headquarters. “When I go to the toilet, I make the news,” he said, adding, “I enjoy reading Phoenix New Times on the toilet, but that has nothing to do with the contents.” He says New Times is his favorite news- paper, despite more than 20 years of docu- menting his abuse of power and other failings. That hasn’t soured his opinion of the publication, he claims. A New York Times reporter recently asked Arpaio why he likes negative publicity and mentioned New Times. Arpaio responded, “Why not? That’s how I get my name in the paper.” That’s Rich! The efficacy of Arpaio’s mayoral campaign hinges on name recognition and money. According to annual campaign finance reports filed with the Arizona Secretary of State in January, Arpaio’s receipts were 100 times that of his competor, incument Mayor Ginny Dickey. Already by then, a year before the small local race, Dickey raised $2,128 for her campaign, while Arpaio amassed $206,414, the most money raised by a mayoral candi- date in Fountain Hills history. By far. Not one penny came from an Arizona voter. Arpaio’s campaign raised $238,588, according to finance reports filed last month. Dickey had earned a little over $35,000. “The current mayor doesn’t like me, big time. She is on the other side of the fence, the liberal Democrat side,” Arpaio said. “If they get dirty on me, I fight back. I’ve got the money. I’ve got the name ID, not just here, everywhere.” Arpaio banked on support from GOP voters, but that has dwindled since he left the sheriff’s office. In increasingly greater numbers, Republicans disavow Arpaio’s practices when he wore that six-pointed golden badge. They didn’t nominate him in the “WE’RE IN A TOUGH POSITION WITH THE BLACKS.” primary for a U.S. Senate seat, after all. “If you give him a modicum of power, bad things will happen,” said a local polit- ical consultant to prominent elected Arizona Republicans who is familiar with Arpaio. “You cannot be a decent human being and not be incredibly disgusted with the things he did. He is an embarrassment to Arizona, and he is an embarrassment to the Republican Party.” Fundraising is hardly a novel concept for Arpaio, whose losing campaigns in 2016, 2018, and 2020 totaled more than $16 million in receipts. In each comeback attempt, Arpaio lost the vote in Fountain Hills. He didn’t have much monetary support there. Only nine of 153 first-quarter donors live anywhere in Arizona. Arpaio’s final campaign finance report filed in July reveals just over $17,000 of his total coffers came from Fountain Hills voters. It’s the same strategy that bombed in the past. In his 2018 Senate bid, most of Arpaio’s cash came from flurries of small donations from California. When Arpaio was first unseated in 2016, Penzone got the job with less than 8 percent of the money Arpaio spent. Penzone famously received a $2 million contribution from liberal billionaire George Soros. Nicole and Timothy Bidwill — both children of late Arizona Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill who both still work with the team — also contributed, as did former Arizona Diamondbacks and Phoenix Suns executive Rich Dozer. Arpaio blamed professional sports in Phoenix for toppling his campaign. “They [local sports franchises] didn’t want me back because I’m too controver- sial, bad for the reputation of Arizona,” Arpaio said. “Maybe they should win a championship instead of selling the team’s gear.” People In Glass Houses … Between the pink boxers and his online memorabilia store, Arpaio doesn’t seem to have qualms with selling gear. He wants to bring law and order back to what he claims is a crime-stricken Fountain Hills. That’s despite the town being dubbed one of the two safest communities in Maricopa County in 2019. In the FBI’s most recent Uniform Crime Report for Arizona, from the same year, the bureau reported it was not aware of a single felony offense in Fountain Hills. “I am a little afraid about Fountain Hills. You still got illegals, and the biggest problem, all the drugs,” Arpaio said. “We have drugs in this town. Plenty of it.” Crime reports from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office tell a different story — one of a very safe, affluent town with nary an immigration or drug arrest to be found. Neither the word “drugs” nor — JOE ARPAIO >> p 23 21 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES AUG 11TH–AUG 17TH, 2022
