Tuesday, August 29, 2017

AZ Child Welfare Agency Takes Child From Loving Family, Places Her in Horrifically Abusive Foster Care

This isn’t supposed to happen. Child welfare agencies are supposed to take children outof abusive situations, not put them into ones.

Arizona’s Department of Child Safety wrongly took a little girl away from her parents and placed her with a foster parent who ran a pornographic pedophile ring and committed sexual misconduct against a minor. They also placed her with a woman who burnt her over 80 percent of her body with scalding water.
Beth Breen, who transported Devani back and forth to her parents for visitation when they were allowed to see her, said, “What they [DCS] were trying to protect her FROM is the exact thing that they did to her.”
The scandal came to light when the girl’s court-appointed guardian sued the state over the harm. (The guardian is different from the court-appointed attorney, who’s a defendant in the suit for her alleged part in Devani’s mistreatment.)

The complaint alleges that the state “removed Jane Doe from her home and her biological mother based on a fear of potential harm.” There was “never any abuse proven nor demonstrated.”

Read the rest of the article at The Stream

Friday, August 25, 2017

Time For Maricopa County Supervisors To Put Past Away, Honor Assurances

Almost eight years later, Rachel Alexander and Lisa Aubuchon are still suffering from retaliation by the former Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for their roles in representing Sheriff Joe Arpaio alongside his attorney and their boss, former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas. Despite the fact that the two women were merely collateral damage in a political tug-of-war, the bureaucrats, working in the County’s Risk Management Department, are still racking up legal fees for the taxpayers.
Those bureaucrats are refusing to pay the cost of the disciplinary proceedings against the two former public servants, which cost them their licenses to practice law. Until those costs are paid, the Arizona State Bar will not consider readmitting them. Aubuchon has been forced to work as a paralegal. Alexander works as a journalist, unable to make payments on her ballooning law school loans. Thomas cannot practice law either (he is not part of the litigation but is also required to pay the $101,500).
The County claims that there was no employment contract between the two with the County, so the County’s insurance doesn’t cover it. This is preposterous. Both Alexander and Aubuchon were merit protected (covered) employees. They weren’t merely at will employees, employees on probation, or temporary employees. They had the fullest level of an employment contract possible.

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Trump’s Rally in Phoenix Full of Optimism, Refutes Charlottesville Criticism

Speaking in one of his most supportive states, President Donald Trump criticized the mainstream media for its unfair coverage of his response to the riot in Charlottesville and discussed what he’s accomplished during his eight months in office.
A lively crowd of 15,000 in Phoenix, Arizona, listened to the president. A couple thousand protesters stood outside yelling and chanting. Arizona is a fairly red state, not known for large left-wing protests. The temperature stayed around 100 degrees well into the evening.

Trump’s Response to Charlottesville

Trump refuted criticism that he did not denounce racism strongly enough after the Charlottesville riot. Notably, two prominent speakers were black.
Reminiscent of her famous uncle, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Alveda King criticized the embracing of racial division. Ben Carson, the secretary of Housing of Urban Development, also spoke.

Friday, August 18, 2017

Rep. Trent Franks calls for President Trump to pardon former Sheriff Joe Arpaio

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Mitchell Hailstone
8/17/2017
   (202) 225-4576


A Legacy Of Law and Order Deserves Better
Washington, D.C. – According to recent reports, President Donald Trump may soon issue a pardon for Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff found guilty for defying a state judge’s order to stop traffic patrols targeting suspected undocumented immigrants. Arpaio continued the law enforcement patrols for 17 months after the 2011 order was issued. The former sheriff explains he did not intend to break the law – he misunderstood the full measure of restrictions contained in the order. In reaction to the possible presidential pardon, Congressman Trent Franks issued the following statement:

“Sheriff Arpaio has been a long-respected member of the law enforcement community who has dedicated his life to keeping Arizona communities safe. He has no prior convictions, no criminal record, no record of wrongs. In his twilight years, he deserves to retire peacefully and enjoy the satisfaction of a hard-earned and honorable retirement.
“Let us have an honest moment – this has been a political prosecution from the beginning. The real reason Arpaio is in legal trouble right now is because a Clinton-appointed judge decided to issue a judgment that contradicted every single witness that testified in the case.
“Pardoning Sheriff Arpaio would be celebrated by Arizonans that appreciate and respect a man who has accomplished so much for law and order in our state. It would absolutely be the right thing for President Trump to pardon Sheriff Joe.”

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Congressman Trent Franks is serving his eighth term in Congress and sits on the House Judiciary Committee and is the former chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Justice and the Constitution.

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

BREAKING: Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio Re-Files His Campaign Committee, Starts With $462k In Bank

Some excerpts from the article -

Arizona's Politics has learned the 85-year old Arpaio re-filed his Elect Sheriff Joe Arpaio campaign committee the day after the contempt hearing ended. Arpaio terminated his campaign committee on July 7, after losing his bid for a 7th term as Sheriff last November. That termination explained that he had had $462,049.01 left in the bank. Arizona law gives a candidate several options in how to dispose of surplus funds; Arpaio chose to transfer it to a new version of the "Elect Sheriff Joe Arpaio" committee. The paperwork for that new committee was posted yesterday afternoon by the Maricopa County Elections Department, although it was apparently filed on July 7. The next election for Maricopa County Sheriff is in 2020. (Sheriff Paul Penzone filed his new paperwork on July 12, and has $25,100.92 in the bank as of July 1.) The former long-time Sheriff signed on again as Chair of the new "Elect Sheriff Joe Arpaio" committee. Arpaio has until early 2020 to make up his mind about whether he wants his name on the primary election ballot, but this new filing keeps his options open and allows him to collect and spend money for a campaign.

From Arizona's Politics

Friday, August 4, 2017

More corruption emerges surrounding bogus AZDES audit

An excerpt from the article at the Arizona Daily Independent
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As an example, the audit found that Dennis Young, who was brought in to replace former DES Inspector General Jay Arcellana, brought order to the Department by instituting a system to log training for the security guards.

Contrary to that claim, a recording of Young was captured by DES employees informing Young upon his arrival in early December 2016 that Jeffries’ crew had installed the system and it was being used to log training for the security guards and eventually the sworn investigators within OIG.
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As the ADI reported some months ago, the audit was written in such a way as to cast blame on Jeffries’ crew for the very system failures created by past administrations they were trying to cure.

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Judge, Not Jury, Finds Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio Guilty of Criminal Contempt

On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton found former Sheriff Joe Arpaio guilty of criminal contempt. This was related to the Maricopa County, Arizona, sheriff’s efforts to enforce laws against illegal immigration. He will be sentenced in October for the misdemeanor.
She had denied his request for a jury trial. This is odd since it was a criminal charge.
Left-wing activists have been targeting Arpaio through the legal system. They are unhappy with his efforts to reduce illegal immigration. He began them in the mid-2000s. He helped pass four ballot measures targeting illegal immigration in 2006. At the same time, he started arresting illegal immigrants under Arizona’s felony human smuggling law. They “conspired to smuggle themselves,” he said.

Melendres v. Arpaio and Judge Murray Snow’s Role

In 2008, activists filed a lawsuit against Arpaio, Melendres v. Arpaio. They charged him with racial profiling. U.S. District Court Judge Murray Snow told Arpaio to stop racially profiling illegal immigrants at the sheriff’s office. He was charged with criminal contempt when he supposedly did not do so.

Wrongly fired AZDES Director Tim Jeffries starts process to sue the state for multiple false statements

For Immediate Release: Jeffries Files Notice of Claim For False Statement In DPS DES Audit
Contact: Thomas C. Horne, Esq., Horne Slaton, Phone (480) 483-2178

Former Arizona Attorney General, the Honorable Thomas C. Horne, Esq., has filed a Notice of Claim on behalf of former DES Director Timothy Jeffries against the State of Arizona. The Notice of Claim addresses false statements contained in the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) Firearms Program Audit of Arizona DES released on July 7, 2017. The Notice reads in part:

• The report stated that Jeffries carried a gun on state property. That was FALSE.

• The report stated the Jeffries wanted to arm every DES employee. That was FALSE.

• The report stated the Jeffries wanted to create his own police force and control it. That was FALSE.

• The report stated that Jeffries was involved in ammunition planning procurement and storage. That was FALSE.

• The report stated that Jeffries regularly took ammunition from the DES inventory that was FALSE.

• The report stated that Jeffrey's went to a gun range on a weekly basis. That was FALSE.

• The report stated the Jeffries would leave work early to go to a gun range. That was FALSE.

• The report stated Jeffries openly proclaimed to be going to the shooting range to shoot DES inventory. That was FALSE.

• There were other false statements in the report. The author of the report and witnesses quoted in the report or cited in the report and other State employees knew that the statements were false and acted with malice.

Congressman Trent Franks calls on Special Counsel Robert Mueller to Resign


Congressman Trent Franks calls on Special Counsel Robert Mueller to Resign
Contact:  Mitchell Hailstone

Citing violation of the law, Congressman Franks posits Mueller clearly has a legal “conflict of interest”

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senior Republican member Congressman Trent Franks, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, called upon Robert Mueller to resign as Special Counsel for Russia Investigation, citing violation of the law governing the special counsel (28 CFR 600.7) that prohibits Mueller from serving if he has a “conflict of interest.” As the rule has been interpreted, even the appearance of a conflict is sufficient for qualifying as a violation. The same Code of Federal Regulations defines what constitutes a conflict: “a personal relationship with any person substantially involved in the conduct that is the subject of the investigation or prosecution” (28 CFR 45.2). The same passage’s language is mandatory, saying the employee “shall” disqualify himself – not “may” or “should.”

As it has been revealed and reported extensively, Robert Mueller has enjoyed a long, close relationship with former FBI Director James Comey since at least 2003. Here is Congressman Franks’ call for Mueller’s resignation:

“Bob Mueller is in clear violation of federal code and must resign to maintain the integrity of the investigation into alleged Russian ties. Those who worked under them have attested he and Jim Comey possess a close friendship, and they have delivered on-the-record statements effusing praise of one another.

“No one knows Mr. Mueller’s true intentions, but neither can anyone dispute that he now clearly appears to be a partisan arbiter of justice. Accordingly, the law is also explicitly clear: he must step down based on this conflict of interest.

“Already, this investigation has become suspect – reports have revealed at least four members of Mueller’s team on the Russia probe donated to support Hillary Clinton for President, as President Trump pointed out. These obviously deliberate partisan hirings do not help convey impartiality.”

“Until Mueller resigns, he will be in clear violation of the law, a reality that fundamentally undermines his role as Special Counsel and attending ability to execute the law."


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Congressman Trent Franks is serving his eighth term in Congress and sits on the House Judiciary Committee and is the former chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Justice and the Constitution.

Congressman Trent Franks | www.franks.house.gov | 202-225-4576