VINDICTIVE

Lawsuit: Sheriff Joe Arpaio Pursued Case to Hurt Jeff Flake

Trial next month over allegation of trumped up charges.

A federal lawsuit against former sheriff Joe Arpaio alleges that the Arizona lawman conspired to generate trumped up charges in order to embarrass Sen. Jeff Flake, a fellow Republican who had become a political opponent. One of Flake’s sons, Austin, has filed a malicious prosecution suit claiming that the former sheriff of Mariscopa County tried to bring felony charges against the Flakes after an air-conditioning unit failed at a dog kennel run by a member of the extended family. Austin Flake had been watching the dogs at his in-laws’ facility while they were out of town during a fatal malfunction that left 21 dogs dead. As part of the investigation, Arpaio allegedly surveilled Sen. Flake’s home and examined phone records to see if he had spoken to his son during the period that he was watching the animals.