by Staff Reporter | Apr 28, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) introduced legislation this week to create stronger rules on court-ordered federal oversight of police.
The proposed bill is a direct response to the ongoing monitorship of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), which began well over a decade ago following racial profiling allegations under the administration of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Biggs’ Monitor Accountability Act would further limit federal district courts’ discretion on monitor selection and duration.
The bill as written would limit monitors to five years of service, prohibit courts from reappointing the same monitors under the same court order, prohibit monitors from coming from the same law firm or employer, cap monitor compensation and encourage courts to require pro bono or reduced-cost work, require public comment on proposed monitors prior to court appointment, limit extensions of monitorship to those without substantial and sustained compliance, and require case reassignment to a different judge after six years.
Additionally, the Monitor Accountability Act would apply retroactively to monitorships older than six years. This would ensure Maricopa County — Biggs’ impetus for the bill — secures a new monitor and judge.
The costs associated with the monitorship have neared $350 million according to Biggs and the county, about a tenth of which has gone to the court-appointed monitor and his firm. Proponents of continued monitorship counter that the actual cost of the monitorship amounts closer to $60 million.
Biggs, who is running to unseat Gov. Katie Hobbs this November, released a statement claiming that the MCSO monitorship, among others, has become exploitative.
“The federal monitor’s continued existence in our county and propensity for moving the goalposts from his original charge only serves to exploit taxpayers and undermine the brave work of the men and women who serve our communities — and this is only one of dozens of similar arrangements across the country,” said Biggs. “It’s time for Congress to take back the reins from rogue judges and monitors who have exceeded appropriate bounds.”
Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels joined Biggs’ statement with support for the bill as a corrective measure to prevent further exploitation of the monitor system.
“We’ve seen this problem first-hand in Arizona: Maricopa County has been the victim of a rogue monitor for more than 13 years, costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and shifting resources away from keeping the community safe,” said Dannels.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors filed a motion to end the monitorship last December, and in February testified to a House Judiciary Committee hearing on their effort in court. Biggs led that subcommittee hearing.
The board has pleaded for relief from what it claims to be indefinite taxpayer spending to keep up with ever-moving goalposts.
The Goldwater Institute has also requested the court to publicize the invoices associated with MCSO’s monitorship.
“[T]he government should not be allowed to keep such information secret unless there’s good reason, and even then, they’re required to specify what those reasons are,” stated the organization’s vice president of legal affairs, Timothy Sandefur.
The Department of Justice, who initially filed the lawsuit under former President Barack Obama along with the ACLU, signaled support for an end to MCSO’s monitorship.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Mar 10, 2025 | News
By Mathew Holloway |
The verdict is in on Governor Katie Hobbs’ “Operation Desert Guardian” from Arizona’s Border Sheriffs, and it isn’t good for the Democrat governor.
As the governor faces dwindling popularity poll numbers, fellow Democrat Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos bailed on a lengthy online conference about Hobbs’ border task force, saying “I don’t need another task force.” Noting his membership in four other collaborative efforts combating drugs and human trafficking, he noted, “I’m sorry, I just don’t. And so, I’m out.”
Nanos said his department will not be participating in a devastating blow to the governor’s initiative, given that Pima County covers approximately 31.6% or nearly a third of Arizona’s border with Mexico. The move also has serious political implications. Nanos was one of Hobbs’ biggest supporters during her campaign, even going so far as to cut a campaign ad for her.
Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot, a Republican, offered similar pushback saying, “Let’s not waste state tax payer money on building something that doesn’t need to be rebuilt.”
Both sheriffs were reportedly taken aback by Hobbs’ surprise Executive Order and offered serious criticism of her and the goals of the operation. They told reporters that the work the task force is set to tackle is already being done and would be duplicative, not an added benefit.
“The state is not going to come in to rescue us and be the savior of what we’ve been dealing with,” Wilmot said, noting that the border Sheriffs’ departments offer a wealth of ground-level experience. “They need to come in and be a partner.”
According to a follow up report from AZCentral, Yuma County will participate after a meeting with Hobbs earlier this week.
Speaking with KGUN, Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels had his own doubts, “My budgets are already fulfilled. They’re maximized. And so if there are expectations that my office will be doing something without the budget, chances are we won’t do it… I can’t do it.”
Dannels asked, “What’s the cost to my agency? What’s it going to mean for resources? What are they going to take care of that I don’t already have?” He expressed that he wasn’t made aware of the task force, and though he has hopes it could complement his department’s actions, he said, “I don’t know. I have not seen an operational plan.”
Republican Governor’s Association Rapid Response Director Kollin Crompton suggested Hobbs’ political motives in a statement to AZ Free News saying, “Katie Hobbs’ desperate attempt to cover up her open border policies won’t work, and border county sheriffs of both parties know she’s a disaster. Arizonans want a secure border and safe communities, that’s not possible as long as Katie Hobbs is governor.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jan 24, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
On Monday, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) announced that detectives from its Anti-Smuggling Unit recently intercepted a vehicle on Interstate 10 driven by two illegal immigrants carrying 20,000 rounds of 7.62x39mm ammunition. During the January 17th traffic stop, a second vehicle, traveling with the first, was apprehended by the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office in Benson, AZ, carrying 10,000 rounds of .50 BMG ammunition.
According to the PCSO press release, the investigation has been handed off to federal agents with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF.)
Sheriff Ross Teeple, who began his term on Jan. 1st, said in a statement, “The violence of the cartels in Mexico has held that country hostage. This traffic stop highlights the exceptional work of our Anti-Smuggling Unit detectives as they continually work against these criminal organizations. It also highlights our great working relationships with our federal and local partners in a united front against these criminals.”
The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) revealed in a lengthier statement that the seizure involved the Cochise County Counter Narcotics and Trafficking Alliance (CNTA), HSI, and ATF. Officials reportedly contacted the occupants of the vehicles who were identified by the department as “an asylum seeker out of Cuba,” “a U.S. citizen out of Texas,” and “two asylum seekers.” CCSO did not specify what country the second pair were from.
Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels told Fox10, “These people were arrested. It took a lot of work.”
Federal law prohibits the purchase, possession, or transport of ammunition by an illegal immigrant or alien who has not yet been admitted legally to the United States under The Gun Control Act (GCA), or 18 U.S.C. § 922(g),
“It shall be unlawful for any person— who, being an alien—(A)is illegally or unlawfully in the United States; or (B)except as provided in subsection (y)(2), has been admitted to the United States under a nonimmigrant visa (as that term is defined in section 101(a)(26) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(26))); to ship or transport in interstate or foreign commerce, or possess in or affecting commerce, any firearm or ammunition; or to receive any firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.”
Bernard Zapor, a retired ATF Special Agent In Charge and faculty member at Arizona State University, told Fox10, “One thing for sure is that U.S. ammunition is a massively sought commodity in Mexico. It is priceless.”
He added that the seizures held the hallmarks of cartel involvement saying , “There’s a couple of things that are very interesting about this: the way that it was being transported, it wasn’t concealed from the photographs of the arrests. It was very blatantly just stored in an SUV, which indicates to me that they probably had the crossing into Mexico completely arranged.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 11, 2025 | News
By Daniel Stefanksi |
A dangerous discovery was made in southern Arizona.
On Tuesday, Michael W. Humphries, the CBP Port Director of the Port of Nogales, alerted his followers on X that his team had uncovered a shocking load of weapons at the end of the previous year. He wrote, “CBP officers working outbound operations at the Nogales POE seized a rocket launcher and 2 rocket propelled grenades hidden in a car headed to Mexico. The cache was likely intended to protect the cartels and their fentanyl production labs in Mexico.”
Fox News journalist Bill Melugin noted the announcement from the CBP official, adding, “CBP seizes a RPG being smuggled into Mexico at the Nogales, AZ port of entry. Drugs go north, guns go south.”
In an exclusive comment to AZ Free News, Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen reacted to the news, saying, “This is a grim reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers are facing as a result of the Biden administration and our Governor not doing everything in their power to secure our southern border. Arizonans are eagerly awaiting when President Trump reinstates sanity and upholds the rule of law in our country, and Republicans at the Arizona Legislature will give him our full support in this important mission.”
One of Arizona’s top law enforcement officials, Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels, told AZ Free News that “the seizure of these military style weapons illustrates the networking between transnational-criminal cartels and those working on U.S. soil.”
The discovery in southern Arizona is another daily reminder of the dangers faced by the increasingly open and lawless border – especially over the past four years. While much attention is spent on the inbound traffic at and around the ports of entry at the border, there are too few resources and not enough attention to adequately identify the outbound traffic back into Mexico – like this shipment of seized weapons in Nogales. President-elect Donald J. Trump will be taking office in less than two weeks, and he and his team have vowed to crack down on the issues faced by Americans and law enforcement agents due to the porous border.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Jun 10, 2024 | News
By Staff Reporter |
A majority of Arizona sheriffs have chosen to side with their fellow Sheriff Mark Lamb in the Senate race over Trump-endorsed Kari Lake, due to the implications of her recently calling Lamb a “coward” for not helping overturn the 2022 election.
Lake shifted some of the blame for her gubernatorial loss onto Lamb during an online forum last month with the Arizona chapter of the Association of Mature American Citizens. In a press release from Lamb’s campaign, the sheriffs of nine counties signed onto a letter condemning Lake’s attack.
“Kari Lake’s recent comment calling Sheriff Mark Lamb a ‘coward’ is both unfounded and disrespectful,” said the statement. “We want to make it clear: neither Sheriff Mark Lamb nor any law enforcement officer who wears a badge and uniform, putting their life on the line every day to protect and serve our communities, is a coward. Arizona voters expect better from a political candidate, especially when they are running for the U.S. Senate.”
Sheriffs Adam Shepard, Gila; David Clouse, Navajo; David Rhodes, Yavapai; Doug Schuster, Mohave; Leon Wilmot, Yuma; Mark Dannels, Cochise; PJ Allred, Graham; Russ Skinner, Maricopa; and William Ponce, La Paz signed onto the letter. Sheriff candidates Jerry Sheridan, Maricopa; Mike Crawford, Maricopa; and Ross Teeple, Pinal also signed onto the letter.
The panel in which Lake criticized Lamb wasn’t designed as a debate, but in some respects it became one. Lake accused Lamb of cowardice for not using law enforcement authority to facilitate change in the 2022 election’s outcome.
“I took every hit fighting for security in our elections. Sheriffs had the ability to fight, and the sheriff in Pinal County cowered, and he’s a total coward when it comes to election integrity,” said Lake.
Lamb responded with accusations that Lake’s assessment about his involvement in scrutinizing the 2022 election wasn’t entirely truthful. Lamb said that Pinal County fired those responsible for underprinting ballots, as well as established cameras and citizen monitors for drop boxes.
“Yes, we didn’t print enough ballots [in 2022] in Pinal County, and guess who didn’t complain about it because she won the primary? Kari didn’t. It didn’t matter to her until the general election,” said Lamb. “I live in a world of evidence, what you can prove in court beyond a reasonable doubt. […] Any one of these people, including Kari, could’ve brought me the evidence that was actionable for me in court to do something about it.”
Outside of the scuffle in the panel, Lake has aimed her attacks on Democratic opponent Ruben Gallego.
Lake criticized Gallego for not debating, though she has refused to debate Lamb. The GOP debate for Senate candidates is scheduled for June 26, about a week before early voting, and Lamb will be there.
Should Lake not show up for the debate, the Citizens Clean Elections Commission will pivot to host a 30-minute Q&A with Lamb rather than a 60-minute debate.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
