Nanos responds to critics, promises review of department finances

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos fired back Wednesday at critics and promised a full review of the department’s financial practices.

His chief deputy, Chris Radtke, resigned Monday, following a federal indictment charging him with misuse of funds seized during criminal investigations and given to law enforcement agencies for crime-fighting activities.

Nanos previously said he’s not a target of the FBI investigation that led to Radtke’s indictment, but declined to speak about the investigation or the indictment during a news conference he held Wednesday.

“I want to offer explanations, not excuses,” Nanos said, reading from a two-page script. When sworn in as sheriff, “I made a promise to myself and to members of the board, but more importantly to the community that we serve, that they will have our trust.”

Nanos said that because of the allegations of misspending, he’s asked for a comprehensive review of all financial policies and practices within the department.

“I will be meeting with each and every one of my command staff within the organization and will take the time necessary to explain to them the extent I understand and am able to disclose and how and why certain events came to be,” said Nanos. “Perhaps mistakes were made. I’m simply a cop, not a politician.”

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During the second part of the news conference, Nanos blasted his critics, including longtime department member Dr. Richard Carmona, who held a news conference of his own last week to allege what he called “reprehensible” behavior by Nanos and his command staff.

Echoing Carmona’s words, Nanos said he believed it necessary to address the “reprehensible” allegations against him because recent events had “shaken this organization to its core.”

He asked journalists who were present to not attend any other press conferences held by Carmona or by the Pima County Deputy Sheriffs Association, which announced a vote of “no confidence” in Nanos in late September.

Nanos also complained about local media coverage of the FBI investigation, saying that specific outlets have been unfair in their coverage, but praising others for using discretion in their reporting. He accused one outlet of propagating Carmona’s “blatant lies.”

He declined to answer any questions at the end, saying “I’m a politician now,” in reference to a Wednesday column by the Star’s Tim Steller, in which Nanos said he wasn’t a politician.

Nanos was appointed sheriff by the county Board of Supervisors in July 2015 to complete the final term of longtime sheriff Clarence Dupnik. Nanos, a Democrat, is running to be elected sheriff in November, and is being challenged by Republican Mark Napier.