Sheriff Joe's Maricopa County Sheriff's Office spent loosely

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Source: The Arizona Republic

Maricopa County Sheriff's Office spent loosely
Credit-card expenses violated own policy
by Yvonne Wingett, JJ Hensley and Craig Harris - Aug. 8, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic


High-level officials within the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office have used county-issued credit cards to make expensive purchases with little scrutiny, while street deputies have been held accountable to the penny for items bought to do their jobs, The Arizona Republic has found.

Until recent action by county management, about 820 sheriff's employees and volunteer posse members had access to county credit cards. That allowed high-ranking employees to routinely charge pricey meals and stays at luxury hotels, while rank-and-file deputies typically used their cards to buy fuel to patrol roads and lakes throughout the sprawling county.
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Loretta Barkell, the sheriff's chief financial officer, told The Republic on Thursday that she was pressured by Chief Deputy David Hendershott, Sheriff Joe Arpaio's second-in-command, to approve charges that were not pre-approved as required by office policy.

"It's not uncommon for travel and expenses of senior officials in the Sheriff's Office to be approved after the fact because the chief deputy lets it happen," Barkell said. "That's his philosophy, and he allows it, and to hell with any kind of policy."


Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2010/08/08/20100808maricopa-county-sheriff-office-spending.html#ixzz0w5Ow7zG0

More problems for Sheriff Joe? The Republic's investigation found purchases including Bed Bath and Beyond, a subscription to satellite radio for Arpaio's vehicle and a subscription for internet services from a company owned by Sheriff Arpaio's wife.

Other charges included valet parking (as much as $ 40 a night), hotel rooms at $ 200 a night and thousands of dollars worth of "pizza and other food."

Arpaio rarely used his own official credit card, but his office seemed to have an 'anything goes' policy for senior managers.