Richard Mack, the former Arizona sheriff who now heads a group that promotes “nullification” of federal laws at the state and county levels, suggested at an event in Tempe last week that states threaten to “nullify federal income tax” in order to stop money from going to the federal government. He added that he hoped the process of states “tak[ing] back” the 10th Amendment would remain “peaceful.”

Mack made the remarks at an event dedicated to opposing a proposed constitutional convention, which also featured Republican State Senate President Andy Biggs and Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who used the opportunity to call for Sen. John McCain to be hung for treason.

“There isn’t anything that’s going on in our country today that the states can’t stop,” Mack said, encouraging states and counties to refuse to take federal funds and refuse to direct money to the federal government.

“And even spending,” he said. “You want to balance the budget? Get the governors together and the state legislatures together and tell them, ‘This is how it’s going to be from now on, we’re not going to send you this and we’re not taking this, we’re not going to do this, and we might even tell the citizens, we might even pass a law in Arizona to nullify federal income tax.’ That would be courageous, wouldn’t that? It would also be a lot of fun.”

“Who asserts the 10th Amendment? Who has the constitutional and moral and ethical obligation to enforce the 10th Amendment? Is that the federal government’s job? They’re destroying it. Who’s going to stand and enforce and defend the 10th Amendment? It’s us,” he said later in his talk. “We retain everything else that’s not given to them. If we don’t hold onto it, and we’ve allowed them to take it, we have to take it back. And hopefully we have the courage and the smarts and the wherewithal to keep this process peaceful. And if we get a lot of people doing it, and a lot of states doing it, and a lot of governors doing it, and a lot of sheriffs doing it, and a lot of counties doing it, it will remain peaceful. And that’s why my whole thing has been, we take back America county by county and state by state.”

Mack is currently leading an effort to stage a political takeover of an Arizona county to implement his radical nullification agenda.