Maricopa County Schools Superintendent Sandra Dowling has been indicted following a nearly yearlong investigation into alleged malfeasance in office, authorities said Nov. 20.
The county Sheriff’s Office said the 25-count indictment accuses Ms. Dowling of theft, misuse of public funds, conflict of interest and procurement fraud.
Four others, including Ms. Dowling’s son, also were named in the indictment.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office said Ms. Dowling was served Nov. 20 with indictment but had not been arrested. She is scheduled to be arraigned on Nov. 29.
In July, Ms. Dowling filed a $22 million claim against the county, saying accusations of criminal misconduct had destroyed her reputation.
The threat of a lawsuit is the latest chapter in a battle between Dowling and the county that started earlier this year when the sheriff’s department began an investigation into Ms. Dowling’s management.
In January, sheriff’s deputies served a warrant on her offices on suspicion of bid rigging, misuse of public funds and nepotism.
A preliminary audit later found the county school district had a nearly $5 million deficit and didn’t follow proper contracting or record-keeping procedures.
The audit also found that the district hired four of Ms. Dowling’s children and a son-in-law, a practice allowed by district policy but not state law.
Ms. Dowling has been elected to five terms as the county school superintendent, whose duties include serving as the fiscal agent for school districts, maintaining records for home-schooled students, and providing services to school districts and private and charter schools.