From left to right: Pima County Supervisors Steve Christy, Sylvia Lee, Matt Heinz, Rex Scott, and Board Chair Adelita Grijalva discuss a potential censure of Sheriff Chris Nanos at their meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is facing another criminal investigation for potential election interference following a unanimous vote by the Board of Supervisors.
The move comes a month after a controversial disciplinary measure by the Democratic sheriff to place both his political opponent and an outspoken union leader on administrative leave.
Following the suspension of Republican Sheriff Candidate and Corrections’ Lieutenant Heather Lappin and President of the Pima County Deputy’s Organization Aaron Cross on Oct. 15, Supervisor Matt Heinz delivered a motion that the board issue a formal censure of the sheriff for violating election law.
At the Nov. 12 meeting, Heinz took it a step further and said he thinks the sheriff should leave office.
“I was hoping that he would just step aside given this just calamitous series of events and his decisions to abuse his office in this way and betray the people of the county,” Heinz said.
Sole Republican Supervisor Steve Christy, as well as Sylvia Lee, agreed with Heinz’s escalating calls in questioning the sheriff’s leadership.
But Pima County Deputy Attorney Sam Brown told the board that they do not have the authority to censure an elected official, and it would be especially “risky” to do so without a formal investigation first.
“Depending on the results of that investigation, the board can decide what action it wants to take,” he said.
Supervisors Christy, Heinz, and Lee pushed back and asked about potential legal loopholes for a similar reprimand.
“It does matter that this board express our dissatisfaction and displeasure over this. If you want to put it into a different framework of words, so we're not subject to any potential lawsuit, I'm in favor of that,” Christy said.
Brown said the board could make a formal resolution or statement instead of a censure.
Although he declined the Supervisor’s invitation to appear, Nanos said in a memo he was open to outside investigation.
“The complexity of issues and the volume of policies for consideration beg for an outside review by those with the legal expertise and purview to analyze these matters,” he wrote.
The board voted 5-0 for a criminal investigation from Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes or the US District Attorney for Arizona.
By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.