Laurie Roberts

opinion columnist

Not even 24 hours before early voting begins, the U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday announced that it will pursue criminal charges against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio for ignoring a federal judge’s orders to stop immigration patrols that led to racial profiling of Latinos.

Put another way, Arpaio just lost his bid for re-election.

Expect any minute now to hear Arpaio announce that the fix is in, that the Obama administration is conspiring to ensure that he doesn’t get an unprecedented seventh term.

UPDATE: Arpaio has issued a statement announcing that the fix is in by the Obama administration.

"It is clear that the corrupt Obama Justice Department is trying to influence my re-election as sheriff of Maricopa County. It is no coincidence that this annoucement comes 28 days before the election and the day before early voting starts. It is a blatant abuse of power and the people of Maricopa County should be as outraged as I am."

In fact, it was Arpaio who killed his re-election chances.

DIAZ:This isn't vengeance against Joe. It's justice

MONTINI:Will President Trump pardon Sheriff Joe?

When he and top aides ignored U.S. District Court Judge Murray Snow’s order to stop MCSO’s immigration patrols.

When evidence in the case was hidden and destroyed.

When lies were told in court – or as Snow called them “multiple intentional misstatements of fact while under oath".

When court-ordered reforms weren’t carried out.

When taxpayers shelled out nearly $50 million to pay for this outrage, with another $22 million likely still to come.

Arpaio is expected to be charged with a misdemeanor contempt on Wednesday. If convicted, he could get up to six months in a federal jail.

Does Sheriff Joe see the irony?

Before Arpaio tries to cast blame on somebody else within his office, remember what he said recently when he opted to keep Tent City and instead eliminate pay raises for his detention officers.

“The tents are there and they’re going to stay there,” he told employees. “I don’t care what you hear, what garbage is circulating. I am the sheriff. I run this organization.”

Precisely.

ROBERTS:Attack on Penzone is despicable

MORE:Criminal referral will be Arpaio's undoing

Arpaio’s support has been slipping for years amid shelved reports of sex crimes against children and failed investigations into political enemies and the curious refusal of this law enforcement officer to obey a federal judge's orders. Polls already showed Democrat Paul Penzone with a lead. That’s why Arpaio has spent millions in an almost pitiful attempt to paint Penzone as a wife beater and “too dangerous” to be Maricopa County’s sheriff.

Me? I’m thinking danger lies in the eye of the beholder and what Maricopa County residents have beheld in recent years is a sheriff who will do anything and say anything to hang onto his sheriff’s star.

It’s that willingness to do and say anything – or in this case, nothing, when it came to obeying a federal judge’s order – that will cost him his badge.

I wonder if Sheriff Arpaio sees the irony.