Arpaio done cooperating with DOJ

Updated 4 hours, 41 minutes ago.

PHOENIX - Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said in a press conference Tuesday that he is done cooperating with the U.S Department of Justice's investigation of his office.

The DOJ has been investigating the sheriff's office on allegations that Arpaio and his deputies have been racially profiling the Hispanic community.

Arpaio and Washington D.C based attorney Robert Driscoll filed a request with the DOJ's Office of Professional Responsibility to investigate what appears to be a politically motivated investigation alleging the use of racial profiling by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. They are still waiting for a response to that request.

"This case puts the constitutionality of the 287g program squarely into question and is therefore incumbent upon the federal government to defend its own statutes. Instead, the federal government is choosing to go after the Sheriff's Office and the deputies who enforce their statute to the letter" Driscoll said.

The sheriff's office said the DOJ conducted unethical acts when a federal community relations employee reported that he was contacted by attorneys from the Justice Department about the case.

The sheriff says communication between his office and the federal community relations employee is protected by federal statutes.

Arpaio voiced his concerns about the ethical questionability surrounding the U.S DOJ's investigation, and he is equally troubled by the political nature of it.

"After serving with the Department of Justice for nearly 30 years as a ranking official with the Drug Enforcement Administration, it is difficult for me to ask for an investigation into the Department of Justice. However, I must take a stand and not bow down to the federal government like every other law enforcement agency that has been intimidated by investigation" Arpaio said.

Arpaio says the agency wants him to allow them free access to the entire office so they can dig around for something to make their case. He says that's not going to happen.

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