Sheriff Joe Arpaio: New Allegations Of Deliberately Misspending State Funds Emerge

Tucson - Maricopa Sheriff Joe Arpaio already under hot water for misspending over $80 million dollars of state funds, unwittingly contributing to a voter suppression plan orchestrated by a hate group, and is currently in the midst of a civil rights investigation by the Department of Justice, may also have defrauded the state of more money using a duplicate payroll system that state auditors did not know existed.

Yvonne Wingett and J.J. Henlsy of the Arizona Republic have the full story HERE:

Maricopa County officials believe the discovery of a duplicate payroll log and database hidden in a secure computer system at the Sheriff's Office could reveal the extent of alleged misspending in Sheriff Joe Arpaio's agency.

The sheriff's employee database operated parallel to a county-run system, recording a different set of sheriff's staff assignments and payments than official records provided to county auditors. County officials say the system has existed since the early part of the decade, but they learned of it only recently through paperwork produced in a case alleging racial profiling against the Sheriff's Office.

Details of the sheriff's employee database and steps taken to investigate will be outlined to county supervisors at a hearing this morning.

The Sherrif's department is denying any wrong doing, but it is believed that the office skimmed as much as 30% of their funds used to pay their payroll from the wrong account:

A spokesman for the Sheriff's Office denied any intent to deceive county administrators. He blamed the confusion on a lack of compatible technology between the Sheriff's Office and other county agencies.

Some experts also have criticized county supervisors for not closely scrutinizing Sheriff's Office finances earlier.

County officials believe the Sheriff's Office used the payroll system, along with other spreadsheets and databases, to monitor work assignments but did not update the changes to the county's official payroll system. As many as 30 percent of employees were paid out of the wrong funds, they say.

County officials however believe that there was a very deliberate attempt to keep the second payroll system:

"That's a reasonable conclusion to draw, but we don't know for sure," Irvine said. "From Maricopa County's perspective, the ICJIS dispute and lawsuit has made no sense."

County officials sent information on the payroll system to the U.S. Attorney's Office for review. That office is conducting a separate abuse-of-power probe of Sheriff Arpaio, his employees and others.

U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke is working with County Attorney Rick Romley to deputize federal prosecutors so they can investigate allegations of crimes committed under state law, including potential legal violations as a result of the hidden payroll system.