The bad news for Babeu is that he raised almost all of that amount before his boyfriend dragged him kicking and screaming from the closet in February. After being saddled with an investigation for allegedly threatening his gay lover with deportation if he revealed their secret, the once steelyeyed champion of truth, justice and the American way raised less than $7,000 in March.
Even if you’re willing to overlook Babeu’s smutty trolling of gay internet websites in a nude photo, there remains other issues such as the several FBI investigations, numerous campaign violation probes, all those expensive special badges, commemorative coins, paid administrative leaves, group trips, airplane purchases, helicopter trips for personal appearances, and a county payroll for political hangers-on, all at public expense. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
On top of that, Babeu’s got that pesky $1.6 million budget shortfall in his department to explain. I suppose he could tell his base that ‘cleaning up Pinal County’ is more expensive than he first thought.
Congressman Paul Gosar, a Republican who is also running for the seat in the Fourth Congressional District, raised $80,000 in March, $73,000 more than Babeu. Gosar now leads the fund-raising with $687,9040 compared with Babeu’s total contributions of $407,300. Republican Ron Gould trails with $116,425.
Babeu has until May 31 to gather 274 signatures to put him on the August Republican Primary ballot for sheriff.
That’s an embarrassingly low number of required voter signatures, and something he can accomplish with one publically-funded helicopter ride to Arizona City.
Written by Ed Barker
**SanTanValley.com has requested a comment from the Paul for Congress Campaign and will post it here if and when it is received.**
