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Mark Lamb |
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MAGA
Republican
extremist
and
"Constitutional
Sheriff" Mark Lamb was elected Sheriff
of Pinal County, Arizona in 2017. In a 2021
interview, Lamb described his role as sheriff as
involving protecting people from "bad guys" and from
"government overreach", and maintaining the rule of
law. Lamb enforces law selectively, taking an
uncompromising approach to immigration while
adopting anti-government rhetoric in relation to
COVID-19 vaccination mandates and the legitimacy of
the 2020 United States presidential election. He
opposes all restrictions on the right to keep and
bear arms. In May 2020, Lamb stated he would not
enforce a stay-at-home order during the COVID-19
pandemic on the basis that he believed it was
unconstitutional. In June 2020, he tested positive
for COVID-19 a week before his scheduled appearance
at the White House for Donald Trump's signing of
executive order 13925. In 2020, Lamb spoke at a
convention of the
Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace
Officers Association, an organization that holds
that sheriffs are the supreme legal authority in the
United States and are not required to enforce laws
they believe to be unconstitutional. He has also
appeared alongside the Federation for American
Immigration Reform, which is described as a hate
group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Lamb is a
supporter of the Stop the Steal movement. Following
the 2021 United States Capitol attack by supporters
of Donald Trump, he spoke at a rally where he said
the riot was not Trump's fault but rather caused by
"the other issues that have happened – the Hillary
Clintons that have gone unpunished". He later
described the rioters as "very loving, Christian
people. Lamb has announced a run for the U.S. Senate
in 2024. |
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Center
for
Arizona
Policy |
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2024 Survey
Questions For
Arizona Candidates |
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Position Sought:
US
Senate |
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Question 4: Adding “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” and “gender expression” to the protected classes of race, religion, age, sex, and ancestry in nondiscrimination law.* |
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Candidates' Position:
Oppose. |
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Question 9:
Protecting individuals and
businesses from being required
to provide services or use their
artistic expression in a manner
that violates their moral or
religious beliefs.** |
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Candidates' Position:
Support. |
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*
This is in reference
to the dangerous and
disproven
"Reparative
Therapy". |
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**Discriminatory
"Religious Freedom" laws. |
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Kari Lake
Campaigns In
Front Of
Confederate
Flag, And
GOP, Rival
Mark Lamb
Stays Silent |
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"Few
public signs
have emerged
that U.S.
Senate
candidate Kari
Lake or
her
prominent
supporters
have
misgivings
about her
recent
campaigning
under a
Confederate
battle flag.
Days after
news that
the
Republican
front-runner
did so at a
campaign
event in
Show Low,
neither the
Arizona
Republican
Party nor
the National
Republican
Senatorial
Campaign
Committee
had any
immediate
comment on
Monday.
Lake's
Republican
Senate
rival, Pinal
County
Sheriff Mark
Lamb,
also
declined to
comment
about the
flag
incident." |
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Jun. 10,
2024 |
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American
Oversight
And
ACLU
Of
Arizona
Sue
Pinal
County
Sheriff
Mark
Lamb
For
Unlawful
Delay
In
Release
Of
Public
Records |
|
"Wednesday,
nonpartisan
watchdog
group
American
Oversight
filed
a
complaint
in
the
Arizona
Superior
Court
against
Pinal
County
Sheriff Mark
Lamb and
Pinal
County,
alleging
Lamb
and
the
County
have
failed
to
respond
to
multiple
public
records
requests
in
violation
of
state
law.
The
American
Civil
Liberties
Union
(ACLU)
of
Arizona
is
serving
as
co-counsel
in
this
complaint.
Lamb
has
emerged
as a
key
figure
in
the
far-right
“constitutional
sheriffs”
movement
and
its
efforts
to
cast
doubt
on
U.S.
election
integrity.
The
complaint
seeks
a
range
of
public
records
that
could
shed
light
on
Lamb’s
election
denial
and
anti-immigration
activities.
“Sheriff
Lamb’s
connections
with
those
who
have
falsely
claimed
widespread
voter
fraud
are
part
of a
concerning
trend
of
law
enforcement
cozying
up
with
the
election
denial
movement.
Similarly,
his
attendance
at
anti-immigration
and
constitutional
sheriffs
events
reflects
a
disturbing
level
of
extremism.
For
years,
Sheriff
Lamb
and
Pinal
County
have
flagrantly
disregarded
their
obligations
under
Arizona’s
Public
Records
Law,
and
the
people
have
a
right
to
know
how
his
office
is
operating
and
using
county
resources.”" |
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May
29,
2024 |
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| No, The U.S. Is Not Giving People Who Crossed The Border Illegally $5,000 Gift Cards |
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| "Mark Lamb, sheriff of Arizona’s Pinal County, has campaigned for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination on the promise to "secure the border." He’s posted short videos on X, formerly Twitter, with what he calls "truth bombs," mostly about immigration. When migrants cross the U.S. border illegally, "They’re being given a cellphone, a plane ticket to wherever they want to go in this country … and a $5,000 Visa card," Lamb said in a Dec. 5 video. "We have our government giving people who came into this country illegally $5,000 gift cards. That’s the truth, folks."" |
| Dec. 27, 2023 |
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| Election Agency Questions Arizona Senate Candidate Spending On ‘Campaign Attire’ |
| "The Federal Election Commission has questioned why Arizona Senate candidate Mark Lamb’s campaign spent almost $28,000 on “campaign attire.” [ . . . ] "Candidates cannot use campaign money for clothes for political functions — such as a new suit or dress — but can buy clothing of de minimis value that’s used in the campaign like a T-shirt or hat with a campaign slogan, according to the FEC." |
| Nov. 8, 2023 |
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| Sheriff Mark Lamb Tells Pinal County Board Of Supervisors Guns He Bought Benefit Jail Inmates |
| Pinal County Sheriff and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Lamb says he did not misspend at least $217,000 when his office diverted the money from a fund that Arizona lawmakers mandated be used “for the benefit and welfare of inmates” to instead buy a cache of weapons. Lamb said the expenditure on weapons, ammunition and ballistic vests is legal because the guns are meant to protect people who are incarcerated. |
| Oct. 2, 2023 |
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| The Podcast Hosted By Sheriff Mark Lamb’s Adult Son Is A Hotbed Of Far-Right Conspiracy Theories |
| "Cade Lamb’s guests — including his sheriff father — push election denialism, QAnon-adjacent messaging, and reactionary vigilante violence" |
| May 8, 2023 |
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| "QAnon Sheriff" Mark Lamb Goes Deep Into Far-Right Fringe In Arizona Senate Race |
| "Mark Lamb, the sheriff of Pinal County, Arizona, is no stranger to conspiracy theories. He first became a celebrity in right-wing media by refusing to enforce Arizona's stay-at-home order during the COVID-19 pandemic, which earned him praise on Fox News and helped him build a large online following. Now, as Lamb begins a campaign for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat-turned-independent Kyrsten Sinema, the Republican sheriff is attempting to boost his political profile by appearing on shows hosted by QAnon conspiracy theorists, according to Media Matters. "He's basically spent years trying to build up his political profile by appearing on these fringe toxic media outlets, including QAnon," said Eric Hananoki, a senior investigative reporter at Media Matters. This is more than a matter of endorsing unpopular or extreme supporters, Hananoki continued. "QAnon supporters have a history of violence, including attacking police officers. You never want to give fuel to conspiracy theories, but especially conspiracy theories that have a violent aspect to them —that's what the concern is."" |
| Apr. 22, 2023 |
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| Right-Wing Arizona Sheriff Enters Crowded Senate Race Against Kyrsten Sinema |
| "Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb filed paperwork to run for U.S. Senate in Arizona, chasing the seat currently held by Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Lamb, who totes a cowboy hat for public appearances, is a staunch conservative heavily aligned with former President Donald Trump, who has promoted a variety of conspiracy theories. He’s made regular appearances on Fox News to spew anti-vaccine talking points, argue for U.S. military intervention against Mexican drug cartels, and claim falsely that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump—before backtracking and saying he’d seen no evidence of voter fraud during the 2020 election. Lamb is the first major Republican candidate to join the race, but he’s expected to be joined by Kari Lake, who ran an unsuccessful 2022 Arizona gubernatorial campaign and floated entering the field in February." |
| Apr. 11, 2023 |
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Arizona Sheriff Mark Lamb Builds His Right-Wing Media Brand As He Considers A Senate Run |
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Feb.9, 2023 |
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| "his sizable presence on right-wing media and broader forays into self-help and childrens’ books, reality TV, and various philanthropic endeavors could become all the more important in building a statewide constituency. Lamb also has powerful allies at conservative institutions: He’s a fellow at Trump-aligned think tank the Claremont Institute and spoke at a rally organized by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), an anti-immigrant organization which the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated as a hate group. He has also worked with election denialist group True the Vote and expressed an affinity for QAnon conspiracy theories." |
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[...] |
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| "Lamb gained notoriety early in his tenure as Pinal County sheriff by appearing on reality TV, another point of overlap with Trump. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, he ingratiated himself to right-wing media by refusing to enforce Arizona’s stay-at-home order, earning him praise on Fox News. (He later contracted COVID-19.) |
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| Lamb was already tied to far-right movements such as the Constitutional Sheriffs and Police Officers Association (CSPOA), an organization founded by former Oath Keepers board member Richard Mack that claims sheriffs are the highest law of the land, superseding any federal or state authority. The movement arose from the far-right “Posse Comitatus” movement in the 1970s and ‘80s, and its legal claims have been thoroughly debunked by legal experts." |
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| Pinal Residents Sound Off Over ‘Dangerous’ Sheriff |
| Residents are concerned rightwing Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb is more concerned with politics than policing. At a Board of Supervisors meeting last week, some residents said they felt Lamb, a Jan. 6 sympathizer, proponent of conspiracy theories and a Fox News regular, is only concerned with power. “Pinal County needs a sheriff, a law enforcement officer, and not a reality show character,” said Ralph Atchue, a longtime Pinal County resident living in Eloy. “It’s become apparent that Sheriff Lamb is crossing a line that we consider to be dangerous. ...He does not represent us, and we fear that he will fail to uphold his oath of office to serve and protect us.” Lamb, who runs the rightwing group Protect America Now, is one of dozens of sheriffs who ascribe to the idea of "constitutional sheriffs" -- an idea that, within their jurisdictions, sheriffs have the ultimate authority including above state and federal entities. He often wades into political issues. Last week, Lamb claimed without evidence that mail-in voting and early ballot drop boxes allow for more potential fraud. |
| Aug. 11, 2022 |
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| Pinal County Sheriff Appears At State Capitol For Falsehood-Filled Presentation On Election Integrity |
| Republicans in the Arizona State Legislature on Tuesday hosted a legislative hearing that contrived to present "evidence" of massive voter fraud during the 2020 general election — and Pinal County's chief law enforcement officer was present. Sheriff Mark Lamb paid a visit to the Arizona State Capitol for the event, in which some of the state's top Republicans welcomed members of the "election integrity watchdog group" True the Vote for a 90-minute panel session on unverified claims the group has made regarding voter fraud in Arizona. |
| Jun. 1, 2022 |
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| Amid Sex Trafficking Probe, Matt Gaetz Shows Up In Arizona For A Border Diatribe |
| "Controversial, embattled Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz is going native. The third-term U.S. congressman touched down in Phoenix not long ago, donning an Arizona State University Sun Devils cap and following the state’s GOP kingpins to the U.S.-Mexico border for a screed about the dangers of illegal immigration. Gaetz accompanied Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs, who represents Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, and Queen Creek, for a stroll"" |
| Mar. 25, 2022 |
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| He Calls Himself The ‘American Sheriff.’ Whose Law Is He Following? |
| "Lamb supported the “stop the steal” campaign in Arizona and has expressed sympathy for the Jan. 6 rioters. He has called vaccine mandates “garbage” and spoke at a recent anti-vaccine rally in Phoenix, where he told supporters, “We’re going to find out what kind of patriots you are. We’re going to find out who is willing to die for freedom.” He also makes direct appeals to citizens, an effort that looks more dangerous after former President Donald Trump riled up supporters on Jan. 6. For example, Lamb, an ardent defender of the Second Amendment, has spoken in support of the formation of private militias — “well within the Constitution,” he told a group of supporters in March — and emphasized the power of sheriffs in Arizona, an open-carry state, to call local civilians into service to “suppress all affrays, insurrections and riots that comes to the attention of the sheriff.” Last year, as Black Lives Matter protests swept across the country, he formed a local civilian “posse” to assist his office with law enforcement, even though there were no such protests in Pinal County. Through Protect America Now, which was founded by a Republican strategist and two businesspeople working with Lamb and counterparts nationwide, he is marshalling dozens of other elected sheriffs and citizen supporters around these ideas — “building an army” as the group puts it. The message: Sheriffs are here to protect your freedom — including freedom from your own democratically elected government. Lamb’s advocacy follows in the tradition of “constitutional sheriffs,” who for decades have propagated the idea — refuted by constitutional experts — that sheriffs are the supreme legal authority in America, above even the president and the Supreme Court, and that they can choose not to enforce any law they consider unconstitutional. Former sheriffs Joe Arpaio and David Clarke, along with an estimated 138 currently serving sheriffs, are self-declared adherents of the philosophy, which evolved out of the white nationalist, anti-Semitic movement known as “posse comitatus,” meaning the “power of the county.”" |
| Oct. 15, 2021 |
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A 2020 Stop the Steal rally in Phoenix (yes, it featured a gallows and noose). Ali Alexander would help plan the Jan. 6 insurrection, with help from Congressmen Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar. Rep. Anthony Kern attended the Jan. 6 riot. GOP Chair Kelli Ward organized the fake elector plot, and Oathkeeper Rep. Mark Finchem delivered the fake document to Andy Biggs in DC. The dentist hated by many siblings, Paul Gosar, rose on Jan. 6 to issue the first objection to the vote count just before all hell broke loose. He and Biggs ran, then returned to vote with the insurrectionists. |
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Photo: Daily Kos |
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| Attorney General Opens Investigation Into Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb |
| Nov. 24, 2020 |
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| Prominent Republicans Attended Fundraiser At Home Of Abortion Doctor Accused Of Pointing Gun At Pro-Life Protesters |
| Oct. 27, 2020 |
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| "Charity" Founded by Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb Has $18,000 In Unaccounted Spending |
| Aug. 31, 2020 |
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| Arizona Sheriff Who Refused To Enforce Lockdown Restrictions Has COVID-19 |
| Jun. 17, 2020 |
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| Some Arizona Sheriffs Won't Arrest Or Cite Citizens Violating Governor's Order |
| May 1, 2020 |
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