The Brief

PHOENIX - More than a decade after a federal monitor started overseeing major changes at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), Sheriff Jerry Sheridan is responding to an audit that accuses the agency of improperly attributing $160 million in taxpayer funds.

What we know:

The MCSO has been under federal oversight since 2013 due to a racial profiling lawsuit filed against former Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

The independent, court-ordered audit claims a majority of the $160 million the department billed the county for case-related expenses was spent on items unrelated to the oversight program, such as surplus vehicles, body cameras, and a golf cart. The audit claims more than 70% of costs attributed to federal compliance were for unrelated items.

Sheridan addressed the cont

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