The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to haul Sheriff Chris Nanos before them to answer questions about his work history, his management of personnel, internal affairs, and what the board described as broader "leadership issues" in the department. Outside counsel is expected to draft the formal language for the request by April 7.
Nanos declined to comment on the board's decision.
The vote lands as the sheriff's department enters its third month searching for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie, following her suspected abduction from her home on Feb. 1. No resolution has been announced. And the man running the department responsible for finding her is now facing questions about whether he lied under oath about his own record.
During a recent deposition, Nanos stated he had never been suspended as a result of disciplinary action while working as a law enforcement officer. According to public records, that claim doesn't hold up. Documents indicate he had been suspended repeatedly as a police officer in El Paso, Texas, with suspensions lasting multiple weeks, and that he resigned in lieu of termination before coming to Arizona in the early 1980s, as Fox News reports.
The Pima County Deputy's Organization, the department's labor union, put an even finer point on it. According to the union, Nanos also stated 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 added what should be obvious to anyone who has ever filled out a government employment form:
"Lying on your application would prohibit anyone from being hired."
Anyone, apparently, except the man who went on to become sheriff.
This isn't the first time Pima County supervisors have tried to hold Nanos accountable. On Nov. 12, 2024, the board, composed of four Democrats and a single Republican, had initially planned to vote on a motion to censure the sheriff. That effort collapsed when a deputy county attorney told supervisors they didn't have the formal power to issue a censure and suggested they could face legal ramifications for trying.
Instead, the board voted unanimously to request an investigation from the state attorney general or the U.S. Department of Justice. In letters to both, the supervisors laid out their concerns in direct terms:
"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."
That opponent was Lt. Heather Lappin, the Republican candidate for sheriff. Another political foe, Sgt. Aaron Cross, president of the Pima County deputies' union, was also accused of being targeted by Nanos through unconstitutional actions.
The board's letters didn't mince words about what they believed was happening:
"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."
The supervisors described the sheriff's conduct as an attempt "to smear his political opponent." And they arrived at a conclusion that took longer than it should have: "It is clear that the board of supervisors must in fact act to ensure accountability."
The political turmoil surrounding Nanos isn't just a governance problem. It is a law enforcement problem, one with a missing 84-year-old woman at its center.
Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and former criminal justice professor, warned that the tension between Nanos and other elected officials could have a negative impact on the investigation into Guthrie's disappearance. The pressure, he said, could force an unnecessary error and trickle down to the detectives working the case.
"When the executive is under stress, he continues to make micromanagement moves."
Giacalone said that when he was promoted to a supervisory position in his own career, he received advice to let detectives do their jobs without interfering. What happens when a sheriff doesn't follow that principle is predictable:
"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.'"
That is the opposite of what a stalled missing persons case needs.
Nanos has now served more than a year of his latest term. In that time, a bipartisan board has attempted censure, referred his conduct to two separate law enforcement agencies, and now voted unanimously to bring him in for questioning about potential perjury. A First Amendment lawsuit is pending. His own deputies' union has publicly accused him of lying on his employment application.
The timing of the hearing remains unclear. What is clear is that Pima County has a sheriff whose credibility is collapsing under the weight of his own statements, and a high-profile investigation that cannot afford a compromised chain of command.
Nancy Guthrie has been missing for over two months. The people responsible for finding her deserve leadership that isn't fighting for its own survival.