Resolved Question: How about this Sheriff Joe Arpaio has raised more money than ever?
- Posted on 29 Jan 2012, 6:58 pm | click here for more
In the face of one of the most trying years the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has experienced -- with upheaval at the highest levels and a U.S. Justice Department probe accusing the agency of engaging in widespread discrimination -- Sheriff Joe Arpaio has raised more money than ever for his re-election campaign. And the vast majority of those donors -- more than 80 percent -- live outside Arizona. Arpaio's latest campaign-finance report, filed earlier this month, shows a local candidate whose fundraising prowess appears unrivaled, with more than $1.1 million coming in from donors in the past year and a total of nearly $6 million raised since 2009. The report also shows a politician whose national profile has grown even as his office has arrive below increased scrutiny for a variety of reasons: botched sex-crime investigations, illegal-immigration enforcement, faulty financial management and an ongoing federal criminal investigation into allegations that members of the Sheriff's Office abuse the agency's power for political reasons. With that as the backdrop, Arpaio in the past year made 16 trips around the country for speaking engagements and to offer support to other candidates. He also made 40 appearances as featured guest on national news programs. His trips around the country don't necessarily translate to financial support, Arpaio insists, but his campaign manager said the sheriff made a conscious decision after the 2008 election to solicit more contributions from around the country. During the entire 2008 campaign, Arpaio raised slightly more than $600,000. Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2012/01/27/20120127arpaio-funds-raised-re-election.html#ixzz1ktmfo7w5