APACHE COUNTY, Ariz. — Concerns over destroying and tampering with evidence, spending county funds on gym equipment and employing interns at a public office to organize campaign material are all part of new details released in a letter from the Arizona Attorney General's office surrounding an investigation into Apache County Attorney Michael Whiting.
The letter was written in response to a letter sent to the AG's office by Whiting's attorney, requesting the AG's office to stop exercising supervisory authority over the Apache County Attorney's Office.
The June 10 letter written by the AG's Criminal Division Chief, Nicholas Klingerman, says Attorney General Kris Mayes will maintain the supervisory authority over the office.
In the letter, Klingerman outlines some of the investigation into and surrounding Whiting, including alleged misuse of monies, noting that agents found an invoice for $44,000 of campaign materials in the search of the ACAO.
"Agents also discovered that Mr. Whiting employs interns, who are to sit at a desk in the basement and organize Mr. Whiting’s and his wife’s campaign materials," Klingerman wrote in the letter.
Recent purchases of gym equipment delivered to the office, that appeared to be purchased on a county credit card, also are part of the investigation. Klingerman said the purchases left the card maxed out. In addition, the letter notes Whiting may have bought drones with taxpayer dollars for his private business.
The letter also alleges two of Whiting's employees confronted a candidate running against Whiting's wife, Joy Whiting. Joy Whiting is up for re-election for Apache County School Superintendent this year.
"[The employees] allegedly physically confronted the candidate and told the candidate that Michael Whiting “was not through with” them yet," Klingerman wrote in the letter.
In addition, Klingerman said the candidate also received photos of their home in the mail and a letter threatening prosecution by ACAO if the candidate didn't withdraw.
The search warrant obtained by the AG's office last week was partly over concerns of evidence tampering. Klingerman revealed in the letter the AG's office had served a subpoena on a local business in May as part of their investigation. Following that subpoena, Klingerman said it's believed Whiting may have gotten a new cell phone and replaced his staff's computers.
Neither Michael Whiting nor Joy Whiting responded to 12News' request for an interview Thursday.
Whiting's attorney, Bruce Griffen, told 12News he wouldn't comment on the contents of the letters, but said there'd be 'additional correspondence'.
"Public corruption, is one of the most serious crimes that can be committed, because it undermines public confidence in our institutions and the individuals that you're electing, and it has such huge ramifications, especially for a prosecutor," Former Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley said.
Romley added that if the allegations are true, he hopes the Attorney General's Office will take aggressive action.
"Strong statement needs to be sent out that this is not going to be tolerated, and if you do commit these types of crimes, you're going to be held accountable to this to the strongest level that I could possibly bring," Romley said.
Criss Candelaria, who lost his spot as Apache County Attorney to Whiting in the 2008 primary, said he wants to see a trial of the facts.
"Assuming, for the sake of argument, that he's guilty, then there needs to be a trial, you know, there can't be any sweetheart plea agreements that are going to, you know, get him past the moment, let him keep his pension and not have any real consequences," Candelaria said.
Following last week's search at the Apache County Attorney's Office, Whiting's chief deputy cosigned a letter calling for him to resign, saying Whiting was missing for days.
Deputy county attorneys and one staff member of Whiting's office have also filed injunctions against harassment against Whiting and the same two ACAO employees who allegedly confronted Joy Whiting's opponent.
In Griffen's letter to the AG's office, Griffen argued Whiting had a meeting in Window Rock following the Apache County Board of Supervisors Meeting. Griffen reiterated Whiting's statement to 12News that Whiting was on a 'pre-planned' family trip to California.
However, in the response letter, Klingerman said the AG's information shows otherwise.
"If Mr. Whiting was on a preplanned family trip to California between June 4, 2024 through June 7, 2024, he didn’t bring his family," Klingerman wrote.