Thomas, who had a career in corrections and once served indicted Governor Fife Symington, recently resigned his office to run for Attorney General. But during his five years as County Attorney he was Arpaio’s Sancho Panza, hauling his legal water and providing the Sheriff political cover to conduct his nefarious activities, such as his neighborhood sweeps. Both the County Sheriff and Attorney are elected offices here, and Arpaio and Thomas raised funds and campaigned together, they were that close of a team, that like-minded.

The investigation of Thomas, which was ordered by Arizona Chief Justice Rebecca White Berch, is looking into lawsuits and other harassments that the County Attorney leveled at Don Stapley and Mary Rose Wilcox, who are Maricopa County Supervisors with whom Thomas and Arpaio often disagreed. The investigation also covers the County Attorney’s indictment of Gary Donahoe, a Superior Court Judge who Thomas and Arpaio saw as an obstacle to bringing about their police state. These cases are too involved to go into here, covering years and gallons of newspaper print; needless to say, they were all dismissed.

What is Arpaio’s May 3 letter to the attorneys at the County Attorney’s Office about? On the face of it, it appears Arpaio is trying to stall the investigation of his old pal, Andrew Thomas:

“This letter is intended to advise you that I do not consent to you revealing any information provided to you by my office, regardless of any personal incentive to breach the attorney-client privilege… Be advised that should you disclose any information that could harm any pending criminal investigations, I will consider charging you with violations of applicable statutes.”

That’s a pretty typical Arpaio tactic: file a lawsuit. Shielding Thomas is no doubt Arpaio’s concern, and when Thomas’s Chief Deputy Phil MacDonnell received and read the letter he said, “It gave me pause.” Gee, Phil, ya think?

What’s also behind Joe Arpaio’s letter, I’d suggest, is that he is testing the waters because he is also under investigation, the federal grand jury type, for abuse of power, including the lawsuits mentioned above and probably a long list of other breaches of authority. To that end, his letter is warning any attorney who worked with Thomas’s office not to disclose information about the Don Stapley fiasco, for example, because Arpaio is as close to that case as Thomas, perhaps even more so.

Thankfully, Interim County Attorney, Rick Romley, is no Arpaio lackey like Thomas. He fired off a letter to Arpaio advising him that he did not have the power to issue this threat, and that he could not claim attorney-client privilege because “the relationship between the two offices is not attorney and client but law enforcement and prosecutor.”

But what I really love is the end of Romley’s letter, something very few people in this state have been willing to say to Joe Arpaio:

“This threat is not only inappropriate but is a clear abuse of your authority as sheriff of Maricopa County. Thereby, I shall be forwarding your letter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

Ouch! There is some good news coming out of Arizona. We await the grand jury report for even more good news.

****

UPDATE: Thanks guys. You dash off a diary early in the morning, hit the hay, and wake up to see it at the top of the Rec List. Nice to see the interest here! I realize "slap down" in the title might be a little over the top, but here in Arizona this is about best news we've had with this lout. A good first step.