Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Does the sheriff have a legit beef or is he just trying to create a smoke screen to cover up his wrongdoings? That is the question.

By Carrie Johnson and Spencer S. Hsu
Washington Post Staff Writers

The lawyers representing a controversial Arizona sheriff who is under investigation for his treatment of Latino residents accused officials in the Justice and Homeland Security departments yesterday of political motivations in pursuing probes against their client.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joseph M. Arpaio and his office, which have drawn widespread attention for an unorthodox approach to crime and punishment, are the focus of three federal investigations into whether they violated federal rules or civil rights laws in pursuing illegal immigrants.

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