TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Is it a valid investigation, or election interference? That is the question swirling in the race for Pima County Sheriff. Sheriff’s Lieutenant Heather Lappin is challenging incumbent Sheriff Chris Nanos—and Nanos just put Lappin—his political opponent— on leave. He says she’s under investigation over possible serious on the job violations.
Running against your boss is bound to be touchy. Sheriff’s Lieutenant Heather Lappin is running as a Republican against the incumbent Sheriff, Democrat Chris Nanos. Now he’s accused her of misconduct and taken her off the job until an investigation is complete.
Heather Lappin is assigned as a supervisor at the Pima County jail. Nanos says it was wrong for her to help a reporter arrange interviews with a jail inmate and says she was involved in making payments possible to an inmate in exchange for an interview for a news story.
A reporter for a news site called Arizona Luminaria has done a series of stories about high numbers of inmate deaths at the jail. Arizona Luminaria says the department’s media liaison put Lappin in touch with the reporter. Luminaria’s website states they don’t pay for news stories and they state the only money that changed hands was about 25 dollars to reimburse the inmate for fees the jail charges when an inmate uses a phone.
Nanos defeated Mark Napier to become Sheriff back in the 2020 election. Napier is supporting Lappin now.
Napier says the allegation against Lappin would usually not be enough to put someone on administrative leave. He sees it as an effort to interfere with Lappin’s ability to campaign
Democratic Pima County Supervisor Dr. Matt Heinz says. “This is dictator stuff. This is what they do, right? They don't want to have to answer for things in their office. They don't want to lose their election, and they will do anything possible to remain in power.”
Even before Nanos put his opponent on leave, Heinz was already concerned enough about Nanos other actions as Sheriff to cross party lines and support Lappin.
He says, “This is a man who has refused, for unclear reasons, to investigate a very concerning sexual assault allegation among two of his employees for two years, but within days, is able to generate some bogus investigation charges, allegations against Heather Lappin.”
Heinz says he and the other Supervisors have already asked the Arizona Attorney General to investigate how Nanos handled the long-standing rape investigation. Now he’ll urge them to ask the Attorney General to look into the way Nanos put Lappin on leave so close to election day. But Heinz says Supervisors will not meet again until November—after the election.
Nanos has only addressed the claims against Lappin in a written statement released Tuesday. KGUN9 asked again Wednesday if he would talk with us on camera. Through a media contact, he declined further comment.
