MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz — Nearly five years after Joe Arpaio was voted out as sheriff of Arizona’s most populous county, taxpayers have covered one of the last major bills from the thousands of lawsuits the lawman’s headline-grabbing tactics inspired.
The overall legal tab for Arpaio's six terms hit $100 million after Maricopa County officials agreed last week to pay $3.1 million to cover a settlement with a restaurant owner who alleged Arpaio defamed him and violated his rights when raiding his businesses.
The bills were attorney fees, settlements and other costs paid for lawsuits stemming from Arpaio’s tenure. Arpaio says “$100 million is not unreasonable” because he was sheriff for 24 years.
The 89-year-old Arpaio, who lost a 2020 bid to win back his job and is now running for mayor in Fountain Hills, Arizona, said he’s proud of the way he ran one of the largest county jail systems in the U.S.
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