Thread: Sheriff Joe Arpaio has raised more money than ever

Sheriff Joe Arpaio has raised more money than ever

by JJ Hensley and Matt Dempsey - Jan. 28, 2012 09:21 PM
The Republic | azcentral.com

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 come under 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.

California had the most Arpaio donors in the last year, followed by Arizona, Texas, Florida and Washington. Data from Arpaio's campaign show that since 2009, Arizona has produced the highest percentage of donors, with more than 24 percent, followed by California.

"Whether they've given once or 10 times, Arizona is still the Number 1 source, in terms of the barometer of support. I anticipate that some of Arpaio's detractors or opponents would say, 'Eighty percent of your money came from out of state,' " said Chad Willems, Arpaio's campaign manager. "But we still think our numbers stack up with anyone's local support."

Arpaio's two opponents -- Scottsdale police Lt. Mike Stauffer and former Phoenix police Sgt. Paul Penzone -- have until Tuesday to file their financial reports. Neither candidate could provide information on fundraising efforts last week.

Both challengers have made issues of the problems in the Sheriff's Office, but to some of Arpaio's contributors, the Justice Department report in particular has served as validation that they support the right candidate.

The majority of Arpaio's donors from the most recent campaign filing, which covers a period from Nov. 23, 2010, through Dec. 31, 2011, came from California, which produced more than 2,700 donations for the sheriff, compared with about 2,500 from Arizona.

Many of the donors contributed in $25 to $30 increments and are retirees like Kenneth Miller, an 87-year-old San Luis Obispo, Calif., resident who donated $150 to the campaign in this cycle, including a $35 check in November.

"I don't have much to give, but I would support him to the end of time, really," said Miller, who first got to know Arpaio as an Arizona snowbird.

The Justice Department report issued last month contains numerous allegations of discrimination by sheriff's deputies and officers against Latinos. It alleges that some Latino citizens were treated like illegal immigrants and jailed.

The probe began in 2008 under former President George W. Bush. Arpaio and his administrators have promised to cooperate with federal agents, even as they decry the report as being the politically motivated work of President Barack Obama's administration.

That message resonates with many Arpaio supporters, including Miller.

"As far as that report goes, in my opinion, that's just somebody else's opinion," Miller said. "I think the Justice Department is wrong. I think the way they're treating Arizona is unconscionable."

Willems said the Arpaio campaign is hoping to capitalize on that sentiment among the sheriff's supporters.

"You've got the most powerful government in the world coming down on a local county sheriff and for what? For enforcing the law," Willems said. "Our take on it is that they're using this as a political tool to either intimidate the sheriff from doing his job or curry favor with the Hispanic community."

Mike O'Neil, a public-opinion pollster who has tracked Arpaio's popularity for more than 20 years, said the response from the sheriff's supporters was not surprising.

The Justice Department investigation validates the opinions of Arpaio's harshest critics and his most fervent advocates, O'Neil said, but if the investigation remains a topic of discussion, it might begin to sway some of the middle-of-the-road voters.

The more politically dangerous issue for Arpaio could arise from the botched sex-crime investigations, O'Neil said.

"That hits people where they live," he said. "It causes me to wonder whether or not he might take a really serious hit from this."

The most recent polling data, based on a telephone survey of 700 residents conducted last April, shows Arpaio's support has steadily eroded over the past four years. In 2007, 74 percent of respondents to a Behavior Research Center poll rated Arpaio fair to excellent. Last year, that level of support dropped to 60 percent.

But Arpaio insists the dominance of national donors so far is not a reflection on his popularity in Arizona.

"When you do the campaign and fund-raise, if you go to New York, for example, you expect to get New York people, if you go to Scottsdale, you get money from Scottsdale. It doesn't mean that I can't get money here," Arpaio said. "I've still got over $1 million (from Arizona), if I didn't get anything from anyone else, that'd still be enough."


Source: Sheriff Joe Arpaio has raised more money than ever

"As far as that report goes, in my opinion, that's just somebody else's opinion," Miller said. "I think the Justice Department is wrong. I think the way they're treating Arizona is unconscionable."

Thank you, Mr. Miller! You are NOT alone in that opinion.

California had the most Arpaio donors in the last year

Quite telling....

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