Two Valley political activists seeking to oust Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas have filed recall petitions with the County Recorder’s Office.
Leonard Clark and William Crum, chairman and treasurer of the Arizonans for the U.S. Constitution, filed political committee paperwork last month pledging they will spend $500 or less for each recall effort.
Crum said he joined Clark’s effort against the county’s chief law enforcement officers out of displeasure with efforts by Arpaio and Thomas to enforce immigration laws, which he believes fall firmly in the realm of the federal government.
He said it also appears the sheriff’s and county attorney’s politically motivated focus on illegal immigration is detrimental to overall law enforcement in the county.
“We have more than just illegal immigration problems in Maricopa County,” said Crum, questioning why other sheriffs and county attorneys have not attacked illegal immigration with the same tenacity. “I’d like to see all crimes given the same attention.”
Both Arpaio and a spokesman for Thomas said the policy-driven recall effort would not have an effect on their duties in any manner, nor did they take the threat seriously.
“I’m not going to lose any sleep over it,” said Arpaio. “And I’m sure not going to stop arresting illegals.”
County attorney spokesman Barnett Lotstein said the office had no comment on the recall, but said Thomas’ effort to combat illegal immigration would continue without apologies.
According to the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office, 283,300 valid signatures from Arizona voters are necessary to put a recall against Arpaio on the ballot, while 252,039 signatures would be needed to allow voters to decide whether to remove Thomas.
The deadline to turn in the signatures is Feb. 26. If a sufficient number of signatures are turned in and verified, the recalls could appear on ballots for the September primary or November general, said Yvonne Reed, a spokeswoman with the office.
Clark’s and Crum’s filing does not cap spending at $500 for each recall, but allows them to avoid filing detailed campaign finance reports. If the threshold is exceeded, new political committee paperwork and itemized campaign finance reports would be required, said Reed.
The pair have also filed several petitions for the 2008 state ballot to allow voters to recall Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl for their “disrespect and contempt” for the U.S. Constitution and support for the war in Iraq, among other complaints.