Conor Ralph/Reuters
Former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio has filed a libel suit against The New York Times and a member of its editorial board for an opinion piece he claims was “maliciously calculated” to tarnish his reputation, Politico reports. In a complaint filed Tuesday, the ex Maricopa County lawman argued that an opinion piece published after his loss in the state’s Republican primary for U.S. Senate contained “several false, defamatory factual assertions.” The piece, written by Michelle Cottle and titled “Well, at Least Sheriff Joe Isn’t Going to Congress,” accused Arpaio of “terrorizing immigrant neighborhoods.”Arpaio, pardoned by President Trump last year after he was convicted of contempt of court, claims the arguments in the piece were “carefully and maliciously calculated to damage and injure” his reputation. He is seeking damages of $147.5 million from Cottle and the Times, as well as compensation for legal fees.