Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio — who previously claimed he was cooperating with the Justice Department in an attempt to settle allegations that he violated the civil rights of Latinos in his jurisdiction — told Fox News on Wednesday that he’ll “be glad to meet them in court.”
DOJ cut off negotiations with Arpaio Tuesday saying he had refused to let an independent monitor be a part of any settlement agreement.
“This monitor — they want the feds to control everything I do,” Arpaio said Wednesday. He claimed that he never said he would consider an independent monitor in the first place. The Justice Department says such a monitor was always non-negotiable.
“I publicly in the past said i will never give in to control by the federal government,” Arpaio said.
The self-described “toughest sheriff in America” said he wasn’t sure what would happen next.
“If we go to court with them that’s great. Then we’ll see the true story come out. Quite frankly I don’t think they want to go to court. They don’t have the evidence,” Arpaio said.
