Nancy Guthrie sheriff to get dragged to hot seat as stalled case stirs up past scandals
The Pima County Board of Supervisors has voted unanimously to drag embattled Sheriff Chris Nanos into a hearing to answer questions, with help from outside legal counsel as scandals mount over allegations of perjury and retaliation against his subordinates — and as the search for missing Nancy Guthrie enters its third month with no resolution.
Nanos is facing renewed scrutiny from local leaders over his portrayal of his early career history as his department seeks answers in the disappearance of Guthrie, the mother of "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie.
While some critics have blasted Nanos over his handling of the 84-year-old's suspected abduction from her home on Feb. 1, others have unrelated concerns — including allegations of perjury in a deposition tied to a recent First Amendment lawsuit filed by one of his own deputies.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to have the sheriff come in and answer questions about his work history along with issues regarding his management of personnel, internal affairs, and other leadership issues in the department, public records show.
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The sheriff, who declined to comment on the board's decision, was not accused of wrongdoing in connection with the Guthrie investigation during the meeting.
At a board meeting last week, the agenda included time for legal advice over how to address allegations of perjury against Nanos.
During a recent deposition, Nanos said he had never been suspended as a result of disciplinary action while working as a law enforcement officer.
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According to public records published alongside the board meeting agenda, he had been suspended repeatedly as a police officer in El Paso, Texas, and resigned in lieu of termination before he came to Arizona in the early 1980s.
The documents indicate he was suspended for multiple weeks early in his career for things like excessive force, coming to work late, failure to report for duty and firing a gun inappropriately.
According to the Pima County Deputy's Organization, his department's labor union, he also said in his initial application that he left the El Paso Police Department in search of better pay and for personal reasons.
"He did not disclose that he resigned in lieu of termination," the union wrote in a Facebook post. "Lying on your application would prohibit anyone from being hired."
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Timing for Nanos' appearance in front of the board was not immediately clear, but the board's outside counsel is expected to draft language for the request by April 7.
The tension with other elected officials within the county is a distraction for the sheriff that could have a negative impact on the investigation into Guthrie's disappearance, according to Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and former criminal justice professor.
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The pressure could force an unnecessary error, he warned, and could also trickle down to the detectives on the case.
"When the executive is under stress, he continues to make micromanagement moves," he said. "Investigators lose the ability to think on their own and instead turn around and say, 'Well, let's just wait for the boss to tell us what to do.'"
When promoted to a supervisory position in his own career, Giacalone said, a key piece of advice he received was to let the detectives do their jobs without interfering.
The board's vote is the latest in a series of incidents involving the sheriff.
At a meeting on Nov. 12, 2024, the supervisors had initially planned to vote on a motion to censure the sheriff over his treatment of his rival during the 2024 race. She was Lt. Heather Lappin, then the Republican candidate for sheriff. He was also accused of taking unconstitutional actions against another political foe, Sgt. Aaron Cross, the president of the Pima County deputies' union.
The board also accused Nanos of using his office "in an attempt to smear his political opponent" and surmised that "it is clear that the board of supervisors must in fact act to ensure accountability."
Read the letter:
But a deputy county attorney told the supervisors they didn't have the formal power to issue a censure and suggested they could face legal ramifications.
So the board, four Democrats and a single Republican, voted unanimously to request an investigation from the state attorney general or the U.S. Department of Justice.
"During the recent election, Sheriff Nanos placed two employees of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into potential violations of state and federal law, and internal policy. One of the employees was his opponent in the November General Election," letters from the board to both agencies read.
"Of concern to the Board of Supervisors is any potential violation of state or federal laws by Sheriff Nanos, which may include using his official capacity to impact the outcome of an election and/or repressing the rights specified under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution of an individual."
That was in the days after the election. Nanos has now served more than a year of his latest term.