Pinal County public officials are criticizing a mailer sent out by the Sheriff's Office as political propaganda promoting Sheriff Paul Babeu's bid for Congress.
The Casa Grande Dispatch reports that Babeu sent a mailer to more than 8,000 registered voters in the county touting his accomplishments as sheriff. Babeu is running for an open seat as a Republican for Arizona's 1st Congressional District.
Sheriff's Office Director of Administration Tim Gaffney says the mailer was not political and instead described it as a newsletter.
Chairman of the Pinal County Democrats David Coward says many Democrats did not receive the mailer and that if the pamphlet wasn't political it should have been sent to everyone in the county.
Coward says if the pamphlet is a campaign document it was paid for illegally by seized criminal money.
