Hours after saying he would investigate Sheriff Paul Babeu’s ongoing sex scandal, Arizona’s top prosecutor recused himself from the inquiry and passed it off to somebody else.
Attorney General Tom Horne told the Arizona Republic newspaper that he decided he had a conflict because he and Babeu have supported each other politically in the past. Both are Republicans and the sheriff endorsed Horne during the 2010 election.
Babeu became embroiled in scandal in recent days after his ex-boyfriend accused the sheriff of threatening to deport him if their romance ever became public.
Babeu asked the sheriff and county attorney in nearby Gila County to investigate the matter. But they said they didn’t have the resources in their tiny county to handle it. That’s when Horne offered to take the investigation.
Now, according to the Republic, Horne said he has asked the state’s solicitor general to take over.
