Former AZ Sheriff Arpaio files libel suit against New York Times, claiming it undercut his chances to run again for Senate

Joe Arpaio, the former AZ sheriff who finished a distant third in 2018 in a Republican Senate primary, filed a libel suit against the New York Times and a member of its editorial board, arguing that they had undercut his chances for another run. In a complaint filed with the US District Court for the District of Columbia, Arpaio took issue with an opinion piece written after the Aug GOP primary titled, “Well, at Least Sheriff Joe Isn’t Going to Congress: Arpaio’s loss in Arizona’s Senate Republican primary is a fitting end to the public life of a truly sadistic man.” Arpaio is seeking $147.5 million in damages from Michelle Cottle, the author of the piece, and the Times, as well as attorneys’ fees and other costs.