Sheriff Joe Arpaio (government photo)

Joe Arpaio, who bills himself as “America’s Toughest Sheriff,” accused Department of Justice officials of posing as reporters and trying to sneak into his recent closed news conference, according to an article on AZCentral.com.

In March, the Civil Rights Division notified Arpaio it was conducting an investigation into whether his deputies had engaged in “patterns or practices of discriminatory police practices and unconstitutional searches and seizures,” according to the Arizona Republic. The investigation stems from allegations that Arpaio’s officers were illegally profiling Latino motorists to find illegal immigrants.

A deputy chief said that he was checking IDs at the door when a woman tried to “blow past” him. She later identified herself as a DOJ official, according to the deputy chief, who told AZCentral that there were at least four and as many as six DOJ officials in attendance. The news conference was held in a cordoned off area due to security concerns and was not open to the public, according to Brian Lee, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office.

Civil Rights Division officials said they did have observers at the event, but they never identified themselves as members of the media. Justice Department spokesman Alejandro Miyar said in a statement to the Arizona Republic:

“They identified themselves as Justice Department personnel when asked by a Sheriff’s Deputy. They left promptly when told the event was closed to the public.”

Bob Driscoll, the lawyer representing Arpaio, told AZCentral that he “is concerned that a sheriff’s official could have unwittingly given an interview to ‘a DOJ official with a notepad looking for all the world as a reporter’.” Driscoll says he will file a complaint.

The Phoenix Business Journalalso reported that Arpaio “conducted yet another immigration sweep this weekend despite no longer having such powers from the federal government.” The Department of Homeland security changed its agreement with Arpaio to revoke his ability to make immigration arrests on the field.

Lawyers representing Maricopa County Sheriff Joseph M. Arpaio accused Justice Department and Homeland Security officials yesterday of having political motivations in a federal probe of Arpaio, reports the Washington Post.

Arpaio, currently the subject of three federal investigations, is famous for his “unique” treatment methods of prisoners.  The investigations seek to determine if Arpaio’s pursuit of illegal immigrants violated civil rights laws or federal rules.

Robert Driscoll, who served as a civil rights official at the Justice Department early in the Bush administration, said he was seeking “assurances that political rivalries and score settling played no role in the investigations.”

The Arpaio probe began in March, on the heels of calls from Senate Judiciary Democrats for investigations of improper searches and seizures by police officers, including cases involving discrimination.  The investigation was also included in a list of accomplishments by the Justice Department during President Obama’s first 100 days.

Read the full story here.