Joe Arpaio

Joseph Michael "Joe" Arpaio (born June 14, 1932) has, since 1993, been the elected Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona.

Arpaio styles himself as "America's Toughest Sheriff." He has been accused of abuse of power, misuse of funds, failure to investigate sex crimes, improper clearance of cases, unlawful enforcement of immigration laws, and election law violations, among others. Because of racial profiling, a Federal court monitor was appointed to oversee his office's operations. The U.S. Department of Justice concluded that Arpaio oversaw the worst pattern of racial profiling in U.S. history, and subsequently filed suit against him for unlawful discriminatory police conduct. As of September, 2015, cases involving Arpaio or his office have cost Maricopa County taxpayers $142 million in legal expenses, settlements, and court awards.