Investigation into Sheriff's Joe's Incompetence Wins Pulitzer

The 2009 Pulitzer Prize Winner
Local Reporting

Awarded to Ryan Gabrielson and Paul Giblin of the East Valley Tribune, Mesa, Ariz., for their adroit use of limited resources to reveal, in print and online, how a popular sheriff’s focus on immigration enforcement endangered investigation of violent crime and other aspects of public safety.

Congrats to Ryan & Paul.

If you want to read the winning series click here.

Sheriff Joe Tries To Distract Media Away From Scandal With Publicity Stunt

Joe Arpaio is the King of Maricopa County. He can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. And today, our sadistic septuagenarian wanted an inhumane spectacle to make everyone ignore the fact that one of his chief underlings, Captain Joel Fox -- the MCSO's bagman -- was being scrutinized over a $105,000 campaign contribution made to the Arizona Republican Party, which was used to smear Arpaio's opponent Dan Saban in the 2008 campaign for sheriff.

Click for the whole post over at Feathered Bastard

Sheriff Joe Is Lonely

The Goldwater Institute was honoring the undocumented immigrant Ayaan Hirsi Ali and guess who showed up to hear her speak?

Joe Arpaio, the famous anti-immigration sheriff of Maricopa County in Arizona. Do you think she had an impact on him? Who knows, but the one thing we shouldn't be surprised about is him showing up to her awards banquet.

In Republican social circles, it's an unavoidable, if slightly weird, fact: Invite Joe Arpaio just about anywhere, and Joe Arpaio shows up. Whether it's a roast in Sun City, the opening of a raunchy Scottsdale taquería, even the Arizona Republic Christmas party the elderly sheriff has nothing better to do than attend.

-Sarah Fenske Published: December 13, 2007