MARICOPA COUNTY, AZ -- A Maricopa County supervisor and frequent critic of Sheriff Joe Arpaio is under criminal investigation by the sheriff's office.
Arpaio's office has reportedly filed a public-records request to Phoenix officials for information on Mary Rose Wilcox and her husband, former state lawmaker Earl Wilcox.
Arpaio said the probe is a straightforward criminal investigation.
The sheriff's office also was involved in a criminal investigation into county Supervisor Don Stapley, who was indicted in December related to possible misstatements and omissions in his financial-disclosure forms.
The sheriff's office asked the Phoenix Aviation Department for documents related to the process that awarded a concession contract to the couple and their businesses, the El Portal restaurants and Chili's Too at Sky Harbor International Airport.
Wilcox says Arpaio is trying to intimidate her with a "vendetta" over her criticism of the way he enforces immigration.
