The top story in the Spanish-language press today is the lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice against Maricopa County (AZ) Sheriff Joe Arpaio for refusing to comply with a DOJ civil-rights investigation. The press also reviews Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s disastrous debate performance.
Arpaio “betrayed” by federal suit. The lawsuit demands that Arpaio turn over documents related to an ongoing federal investigation into potential civil-rights violations and discriminatory practices in the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. According to news agency EFE, the controversial sheriff said he was “disappointed” by the news. AFP adds that Arpaio characterized the lawsuit as a “stab in the back”:
“These people in Washington met with my attorneys only a few days ago. And in that meeting, Washington got our cooperation; they admitted they already have thousands of pages of the requested documents; and they were given access to interview my staff and get into my jails. They smiled in our faces and then stabbed us in the back with this lawsuit.”
But Reuters quotes Thomas Pérez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice:
“It is unfortunate that the department was forced to resort to litigation to gain access to public documents and facilities.”
