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Feds seek to end retaliation settlement involving Arpaio

Posted at 1:18 PM, May 10, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-10 16:18:57-04

PHOENIX (AP) - The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking to end a settlement in a lawsuit that alleged then-Sheriff Joe Arpaio had a pattern of retaliating against his critics.

Lawyers for the Justice Department and Arpaio's successor, Sheriff Paul Penzone, asked a judge Thursday to end the settlement because the agency has complied with a requirement that it establish policies barring retaliation.

The allegations stemmed from disputes from 2006 through 2010 in which Arpaio squared off against county officials over cuts to agency budgets and other issues.

Some officials were investigated by the sheriff, but the investigations collapsed in court, including charges that were filed against two county officials and a judge.

Maricopa County agreed to pay $8.7 million to settle lawsuits with people who said they were investigated on trumped-up allegations.