Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio is disputing claims made by one of his "special deputies" who recently wrote a book claiming that the Maricopa County lawman has botched the bizarre, high-profile investigation into President Barack Obama's birth certificate and other documents.
The book, titled "A Question of Credibility: A Conflict of Interest," accuses Arpaio and his "Cold Case Posse" of not conducting the probe in good faith. It's written by fellow birthers Michelle Dallacroce, who has been given the honorary title of "special deputy" by Arpaio, and Michael Bruning. In it, they charge that Arpaio has created a "public relation frenzy" as part of a "self-serving" stunt that won't produce results.
"It's all wrong," Arpaio told the Phoenix New Times of the book, going on to admit that he hadn't actually read it.
The New Times relays one of the book's key claims, which alleges that renowned conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi, a regular contributor over at birther bastion WorldNetDaily, was given "special deputy" status in the investigation.
From the Times:
That would mean that a man claiming to be an "investigative reporter" was made a "special deputy," given material from an investigation that hasn't been released to the public, and co-author a book with the lead investigator that's being sold for profit.
Arpaio's office didn't respond to a Times request for comment on the issue.
Last year, Arpaio rolled out his "Cold Case Posse" effort at a Tea Party townhall meeting that featured prominent members of the birthers movement, such as California dentist and GOP Senate candidate Orly Taitz. Months later, he released the findings, determining that there was probable cause to believe Obama's long-from birth certificate, released last spring by the White House, was a forgery. Late last month, Arpaio teased the uncovering of additional evidence, that he said he would release at a later date.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated Dallacroce's involvement in the "Cold Case Posse" and position as a "special deputy." Dallacroce is still a "special deputy."