The Daily Agenda: Did we just stumble into a time machine?

The sheriff is in trouble again ... Supervisors want the AG to investigate ... Huckelberry in hot water.

Here we go again. It may be 2023, but with Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos once again the subject of an investigation by an outside agency, we can’t help but wonder if this is history repeating itself.

Pima County supervisors voted yesterday to request an outside investigation into Nanos’ “alleged failure to conduct a timely and thorough investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a female deputy.”

The vote comes on the heels of a statement from the deputy’s union, saying Nanos put “on hold” the victim’s request for an internal investigation into the actions of her supervisors.

This is Nanos’ second stint as sheriff, and it’s also now the second time his actions have come under investigation by an outside agency. But more about that later.

This investigation centers around the December 2022 alleged sexual assault of a female deputy by her sergeant in his home during a department holiday party.

The department launched a criminal investigation and the sergeant was placed on leave before being fired and arrested on suspicion of one count of sexual assault, according to the Daily Star. The criminal case is being handled by the Santa Cruz County Attorney’s Office. That all seems like it’s playing out the way it should.

But the victim also filed an internal affairs complaint against her lieutenant, captain and chief, who the union says were aware of the assault but failed to intervene. The union says Nanos promoted that chief after the incident to oversee internal affairs.

Nanos told the Star the claims were “wild accusations that are furthest from the truth,” and said he had “complete faith in those who investigated this case” which “is now in the hands of the court.”

But that’s not the investigation the union is talking about. The union is referring to the internal investigation, which Nanos failed to address in his statement to the Star.

We reached out to Nanos to ask specifically about the internal investigation and its status, but heard back pretty quickly that he “wasn’t available to answer our questions.”

Full disclosure, Nanos is probably not Caitlin’s biggest fan, given their history.

In February 2016, Caitlin broke the news that Nanos and members of the senior command staff were being investigated by the FBI for misuse of public funds, including money seized in drug investigations, based on her reporting.

Nanos said at the time he hadn’t been approached by the FBI, but if there was an investigation, it was a waste of taxpayer money.

“Someone should be looking in D.C. about what the Tucson office is doing with its time and money,” he said. “If they need some real policemen to do their jobs, I’ll gladly help them out with that.”

But the investigation had legs, and while Nanos wasn’t charged with any crimes, his second-in-command was indicted and eventually pleaded guilty to theft of federal funds.

Investigations like this are just one of the many reasons that local news is so important to the community. Help us keep doing this work.

Nanos — who was appointed in July 2015 by the Board of Supervisors — was defeated in the 2016 election by Republican Mark Napier by a vote of 56% to 44%.

Nanos threw his hat back into the ring in 2020 and this time defeated Napier by a narrow margin, 50.34% of votes to 49.66%.

But the deputy’s union says Nanos’ second term is just like his first and that he’s skirting the rules and doing favors for friends.

“The bottom line is it seems like he’s working very, very hard to not do an investigation,” Sgt. Aaron Cross, president of the Pima County Deputy’s Organization, told us.

Cross said that as of Monday, the victim’s internal investigation was still on hold, but in the months since she made the request, the department has investigated and disciplined several deputies who looked up the report into the alleged assault.

“It seems like a cover-up is in full effect,” Cross said. “What kind of message does that send to the rank and file?”

While Nanos wouldn’t talk to us about the supervisors’ request, his actions in the days after the item was added to the agenda seem to indicate he’s less than pleased.

The Green Valley News reported Monday that Nanos had decided to no longer provide security during supervisors meetings, saying he didn’t want his “team to be subjected to all of the politics.”

Nanos eventually agreed to provide security for yesterday’s meeting, but said other arrangements would need to be made for future meetings.

At yesterday’s meeting, community members urged supervisors to look into Nanos’ behavior.

“How can we trust the highest-ranking law enforcement official in Pima County to protect and serve the citizens when he can't even defend and serve one of his own?” Cory Stephens asked supervisors.

Former field training officer Chris Conniff called Nanos the “Pied Piper of incompetence,” saying employees are unhappy with his management style of “apathy, dismissiveness and retaliation.”

While supervisors decided to move forward and ask for an outside investigation, it wasn’t at all unanimous.

Supervisors Adelita Grijalva and Rex Scott were concerned about an investigation’s potential impact on the criminal case and a related notice of claim, in which the victim is seeking $900,000 for her injuries and for the department’s inadequate response.

But Supervisors Sharon Bronson, Matt Heinz and Steve Christy sided with constituents, with Christy saying, “the public is demanding this.”

“The optics are terrible,” Christy said. “They need to be clarified with some sort of explanation and transparency on the sheriff’s department and the sheriff’s part.”

The county’s lawyers will be drafting a memo with further guidance as to how to move forward, but if the timeline is anything like the last outside investigation into the department, we won’t be holding our breath while we wait for answers.

Another investigation: Nanos isn’t the only county official facing an outside investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, and possibly the FBI and a federal grand jury, are looking into the circumstances of former Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry, the Tucson Sentinel’s Dylan Smith reports. That’s according to “multiple sources with independent knowledge” who spoke with the Sentinel. Huckelberry retired in 2022 while “double-dipping” on a salary and pension, without telling his bosses on the board of supervisors.

Keep flying: The “flying whales” mural on the corner of Campbell and Grant won’t be blotted out by the Starbucks that’s being built on the nearby vacant lot, the Arizona Daily Star’s Henry Brean reports. The mural by Joe Pagac is one of the biggest in Tucson.

Case reopened: A judge in Hawaii has rejected the proposed settlement between University of Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura and a woman who says he and another player sexually assaulted her in 2018 when all three were minors, the Star’s Norma Coile writes. The judge said in the ruling that the woman shouldn’t have accepted a dollar amount from de Laura and the other player that she thinks is too low, now that the players’ incomes have grown substantially due to name, image and likeness rights. A mediation hearing is scheduled for January.

More trees, please: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded the City of Tucson a $5 million urban forestry grant to invest in neighborhoods by creating more green spaces, investing in workforce development and supporting community engagement to ensure the benefits of trees are distributed equitably. The grant also includes a youth workforce development component to help Tucson create green jobs of the future and “develop the next generation of tree leaders to advocate and care for our urban forests.”

You can buy your own shade trees from Tucson Electric Power for just $5. So, why not skip that trip to Home Depot, order a tree from home and invest your savings in local news?

Funding for migrant remains: The Arizona Department of Safety is set to receive more than $850,000 in federal funding towards a program that aids in the identification, transportation and reporting of migrant remains recovered in the state, the Arizona Republic’s José Ignacio Castañeda Perez reports. Rep. Raúl Grijalva announced the award Monday, calling it an important step in providing much-needed resources to border communities that can bring closure to families who may be suffering over the status of their loved ones.

It’s that time again! We’re a week away from the third meeting of the solutions-focused community book club that Caitlin is hosting with the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona and Tucson Tome Gnome. This month’s selection is “How We Show Up,” by Mia Birdsong, whose work is centered around building more equitable, just, and healthy communities. “How We Show Up” talks about how building these strong communities requires all of us to rethink our relationships with the people around us. The book club is free to attend and refreshments are provided, but you need to RSVP in advance. If you haven’t read the book yet, don’t worry, it’s a quick read or about a seven-hour listen via audiobook.