Joe Arpaio, former Maricopa County sheriff and Republican U.S. Senate candidate, responded Thursday to media reports that he provided interviews to a publication that has peddled anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, claiming he was unaware of the publications tendencies.

“It was brought to my attention I gave interview to publication that supports antisemitism; I was unaware and don't support that view point,” Arpaio tweeted on Thursday.

It was brought to my attention I gave interview to publication that supports antisemitism; I was unaware and don't support that view point — Sheriff Joe Arpaio (@RealSheriffJoe) February 1, 2018



Arpaio told the Arizona Republic in a report published Wednesday that he did not know that the American Free Press website had done an interview with an author who had written a book entitled Jewish Fingerprints All Over 9-11. However, he stopped short of condemning the publication and other anti-Semitic content the outlet had published.

“I’m not going to criticize the news media like you,” Arpaio said in an interview with the Arizona Republic. “I can’t believe another news outlet is criticizing a newspaper.”

The American Free Press was deemed “an anti-Semitic and conspiracy-oriented newspaper published by longtime white supremacist Willis Carto” by the Anti-Defamation League in 2013.

The Arizona Republic reported that Arpaio has provided interviews to the American Free Press at least five times since 2014.

The publication released a story this week about Arpaio’s Senate run, written by Mark Anderson. Arpaio hasn’t read the report yet, but he said be believed it was “a good interview.”

“He’s written some good stories, especially on my situation,” Arpaio said. “I think he wrote one a little while back that was very honest. I can’t say that for other publications.”

Arpaio said he did not investigate news outlets that approach him for interviews and suggested outlets like the American Free Press were similar to the Arizona Republic and the Phoenix New Times.

“I talk to all media, so what am I supposed to do? Investigate every media outlet to see what stories they write?” Arpaio said. “I don’t do that. You know that, I talk to all reporters, all publications.”

Arpaio was pardoned late last year by President Trump after he was convicted of criminal contempt by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton for refusing to obey a court order in 2011 to cease racially profiling Latinos.