AZ - Notorious anti-immigration sheriff allegedly threatened to deport gay ex-lover

wfgodot

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Lots of twists and turns to this one. The Phoenix New Times article, the basis of the charges, is linked below text.

'All of the allegations are false except one... I am gay': Arizona congressional candidate
denies threatening deportation of 'gay Mexican ex-lover' as he is forced to come out
(Daily Mail)
A notoriously anti-immigration aide to Mitt Romney has left the campaign in disgrace after he was accused of threatening to deport his ex-gay lover to Mexico.

The man, only identified as ‘Jose,’ claimed Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu threatened him with deportation if he ever disclosed their three-year relationship, the Phoenix New Times stated in an explosive tell-all.

Babeu denied the allegations at a press conference Saturday, saying that all of the accusations appearing in the alternative weekly newspaper are ‘absolutely false, except to the issues that refer to me as being gay.’
---
more, with pictures, at link above

Entire article here:

Paul Babeu's Mexican Ex-Lover Says Sheriff's Attorney Threatened Him With Deportation (Phoenix New Times)
 
If these allegations are true he would certainly qualify as a world class hipocrite.
 
Lots of twists and turns to this one. The Phoenix New Times article, the basis of the charges, is linked below text.

'All of the allegations are false except one... I am gay': Arizona congressional candidate
denies threatening deportation of 'gay Mexican ex-lover' as he is forced to come out
(Daily Mail)

more, with pictures, at link above

Entire article here:

Paul Babeu's Mexican Ex-Lover Says Sheriff's Attorney Threatened Him With Deportation (Phoenix New Times)

Is the Sheriff anti immigration or anti-illegal immigration?
 
Is the Sheriff anti immigration or anti-illegal immigration?
Good point. I would say he's pro-making-a-name-for-himself-by-opposing-boarder-crossers, no matter the presence or absence of a prefix, if indeed he did what he's accused of doing, viz., threatening a person here legally with deportation based on the power of his office. But he does get the benefit of the doubt as these are thus far only allegations.
 
I know this sounds petty and a little off topic, but does it actually say what length his "member" is on the gay website? I hope I'm not out of line asking this. It just sort of shocked me. I don't know why. I've been reading here long enough that you would think I wouldn't be shocked at anything.
 
Good point. I would say he's pro-making-a-name-for-himself-by-opposing-boarder-crossers, no matter the presence or absence of a prefix, if indeed he did what he's accused of doing, viz., threatening a person here legally with deportation based on the power of his office. But he does get the benefit of the doubt as these are thus far only allegations.

oooh, so a scandal is being stirred so his homosexuality could be headline fodder.
 
oooh, so a scandal is being stirred so his homosexuality could be headline fodder.
Not sure what the voters will think about his being gay; I couldn't care less. I would hope the electorate in Arizona will not base their opinions of him on a single issue, and certainly not that one. But, hey - it's a conservative kind of state.

He has allegedly threatened a legal immigrant with deportation based on, as I said, the power of his elective office. That I do care about; that is the concern. "Scandal being stirred"? If it is, it could prove to be one of his own making, having gotten his lawyer to try to secure a confidentiality agreement from his ex-boyfriend, then - allegedly - trying to make things quite difficult for him when the man refused to sign.

It is this issue alone that is primarily newsworthy.
 
Not sure what the voters will think about his being gay; I couldn't care less. I would hope the electorate in Arizona will not base their opinions of him on a single issue, and certainly not that one. But, hey - it's a conservative kind of state.

He has allegedly threatened a legal immigrant with deportation based on, as I said, the power of his elective office. That I do care about; that is the concern. "Scandal being stirred"? If it is, it could prove to be one of his own making, having gotten his lawyer to try to secure a confidentiality agreement from his ex-boyfriend, then - allegedly - trying to make things quite difficult for him when the man refused to sign.

It is this issue alone that is primarily newsworthy.

You are more than welcome to think whatever portion of the story is newsworthy...sounds like gossip though at this point.
 
You are more than welcome to think whatever portion of the story is newsworthy...sounds like gossip though at this point.

Using your office to threaten to mess with someone's immigration status isn't enough corruption to be newsworthy?

(BTW, I agree with you that the media would show far less interest if it were a girlfriend rather than a boyfriend. But that doesn't change the underlying abuse of power.)
 
You are more than welcome to think whatever portion of the story is newsworthy...sounds like gossip though at this point.
Id be willing to bet you wouldnt be dismissing it as gossip if the guy was a Pro-immigration Democrat Charlie. :fence:
 
Good point. I would say he's pro-making-a-name-for-himself-by-opposing-boarder-crossers, no matter the presence or absence of a prefix, if indeed he did what he's accused of doing, viz., threatening a person here legally with deportation based on the power of his office. But he does get the benefit of the doubt as these are thus far only allegations.

I don't see how he could threaten a "legal" immigrant. He doesn't wield that kind of power. If the immigrant is here, it's because the Federal gov't gave him a pass, and a local sheriff can't rescind that pass IMO.
 
Using your office to threaten to mess with someone's immigration status isn't enough corruption to be newsworthy?

(BTW, I agree with you that the media would show far less interest if it were a girlfriend rather than a boyfriend. But that doesn't change the underlying abuse of power.)

True as you pointed out, so why was his sexual preference part of the story?
 
I don't see how he could threaten a "legal" immigrant. He doesn't wield that kind of power. If the immigrant is here, it's because the Federal gov't gave him a pass, and a local sheriff can't rescind that pass IMO.

He can threaten whatever he wants. How does his "friend" know whether he can do it or not?
 
don't ask, don't tell? Thought they got rid of that.
 
She adds that federal immigration-enforcement agents have better things to do than "take care of Babeu's boyfriends."

Now that is a funny line.

I keep imagining the sheriff in training.

Teacher: Now class if a suspect is the opposite sex then you need to call in an officer of that sex to frisk or strip search them.

Babeu: No Problem!
 
True as you pointed out, so why was his sexual preference part of the story?

I'm not defending the sensationalizing of the "gay" angle. I'm gay myself and sick and tired of being used to sell newspapers and inflate TV ratings. (I'm speaking in general; I don't mean that I have personally been in the news.)

But in this case, I don't think the story makes any sense without mentioning that info in some form (which isn't to say media sources didn't hype it beyond what was essential).

(ETA Or what wfgodot said just above. S/he put it much more succinctly.)
 

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