http://www.trivalleycentral.com/article ... 620736.txtBabeu: Legal action to come against news stationBy BRIAN WRIGHT
Staff Writer
Published: Friday, March 16, 2012 11:26 AM MST
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FLORENCE — Last month, ABC15 reported on allegations tied to Pinal County sheriff Paul Babeu when he was headmaster at the DeSisto School in Massachusetts.
Confronted by reporters outside the meeting room at the Pinal County administration building, where Babeu spoke at a county Board of Supervisors meeting, he addressed one of the allegations against him.
Babeu’s sister, Lucy, and former students at DeSisto said Babeu had a relationship with a 17-year old student when Babeu was at DeSisto from 1999-2001.
“That is absolutely false. Blatantly false,” Babeu said. “[Due to] the reckless disregard of the truth by one news station in particular, there have been notices filed with them, not only to cease and desist, that there’s likely legal action that will follow with that. That shall be an actual case that’s filed (against the station) in the future.”
When pressed by a reporter who asked Babeu to respond to allegations of abuse at the boarding school during his tenure, Babeu said, “You don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
Babeu referred to the story as a “wild pile-on” and refused to answer any other questions regarding those allegations, saying he already made his stance clear in a statement released by he and his attorneys earlier this month which touted Babeu’s work in “helping restore financial stability of the school.” That statement also said Babeu was never the focus of any investigation or lawsuit in his role as headmaster of the boarding school.
Resign to run proposal draws Babeu’s ire
Babeu faced off with board chairman Pete Rios, who initiated a “Resign to Run” resolution that prohibits political activity for county employees. As it pertains to employees of the supervisors, the resolution states, “When performing their duties on behalf of Pinal County, employees must refrain from political activity while on duty or at public expense.”
The proposal Rios, a Democrat, is backing would be binding for all county employees, even those who are elected, save for those running for office in the final year of their current term.
While Babeu would be exempted from such a rule as he followed the state law allowing him to run for office without resigning, as he is in his final year as sheriff, it could affect PCSO chief deputy Steve Henry, who has formed an exploratory committee as an announcement of his desire to run for sheriff this year.
Babeu questioned why this legislation was being brought forth now and said it seemed politically motivated with early ballots going out for elections in a little less than five months.
“As I heard the chairman’s first public comments, [that] we shouldn’t have people who are serving in one elected office running for another office — Mr. Rios, you serve at the height of hypocrisy because that’s in fact what you did when you, as a state representative, ran for the board of supervisors.”
Rios said when he ran for supervisor, he was doing the same thing that Babeu is doing right now, running for Congress while serving as the Pinal County sheriff. Rios said because Babeu announced his run for Congress in the final year of his term, state law permits it; Rios said he followed the same protocol when he ran for supervisor.
“You know that law as well as I do, so I didn’t violate it any more than you’re violating it, unless you think you’re violating something because I sure didn’t,” Rios said to Babeu.
Babeu asked why the board wasn’t adopting a resolution about more important matters such as preventing convicted felons from working in Pinal County. He said hiring convicted felons, “as certain elected officials have done” should be prohibited in a resolution. Babeu added that these felons have stolen from the citizens of the county and committed other felonies.
Supervisor Bryan Martyn, a Republican, said he refused to make a decision on the “Resign to Run” resolution during what he referred to as a “political storm.”
The agenda item was pulled because the supervisors agreed it needed another look from attorneys to clean up confusing language in the policy. It was the second straight supervisors meeting where the agenda item was pulled for further legal review.
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cjm wrote on Mar 17, 2012 7:31 PM:
" Paulie is only spouting off. The last thing this gay exhibitionist wants is to be deposed under oath. Several of the students at the school discussed his inappropriate behavior with the child. What reason do they have to lie? A resolution to keep felons out should include the actions of Child Predator Sheriff. Be careful what you wish for Paul and stop playing the victim. All your pain is self inflicted. "
paulb wrote on Mar 18, 2012 7:21 AM:
" It's telling that Sheriff Paul's primary response to serious allegations about his past has been to hire a law firm to smear and slience his sister, and then to promise legal action against the media. "
desertnana wrote on Mar 19, 2012 11:56 AM:
" Paul Babeu kept his sexuality where I, and most hetrosexuals, keep it: private and personal. I applaud him for that. He has done an excellent job as Sheriff and that is all he should be judged on unless he makes his sexuality an issue. I would greatly prefer that he stayed the 'big fish in the Pinal county pond' rather than trying to be a small fish in the House of Representatives. Pinal county needs him to remain as Sheriff "
