Sheriff Nanos places political challenger on unpaid leave

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has placed a sergeant on unpaid leave, days after the employee announced his plans to run in the upcoming sheriff’s election.

On Friday, Nanos sent a two-sentence memo to Sgt. Terry Staten, placing him on unpaid administrative leave for the duration of his candidacy. He cited Pima County’s personnel policy regarding leaves of absence for candidacy of elective office.

Nanos said Monday he took the action based on a recommendation from county Administrator Chuck Huckelberry, saying Staten “was affecting the work of others.”

In a memo to Nanos dated Friday, Huckelberry wrote that Staten's candidacy would have an adverse effect on the operation of the department, as he would likely campaign against the "policy and management direction" of the current Sheriff.

According to the county’s policy, “when an employee files petitions of candidacy for an elective office ... the employee shall be placed on a leave of absence without pay if it is determined that the employee’s election activities prevent the employee from performing his/her county duties, or that the election activities adversely affect the operation of the department.”

As of Monday, Staten had not yet submitted his petitions for candidacy, according to Pima County Elections Director Brad Nelson.

Staten, a Republican, filed a statement of organization with the county’s election department May 3 and announced his intentions to run against Nanos, a Democrat, on his campaign’s Facebook page last Tuesday.

“My captain brought me in (Friday) and said I was going to be put on administrative leave without pay,” Staten said. “He told me the reason was that Sheriff Nanos had overheard an interview I’d done and was unhappy with what had been said.”

Staten appeared on the Jon Justice radio show Thursday, and spoke about his candidacy and some of the issues surrounding the department’s current leadership.

“Everything I put in the interview about the FBI investigation into Nanos ... (and members of the command staff) was all public knowledge,” Staten said.

Last year, the Star learned the FBI was conducting an investigation into the use of department funds in connection with a cafe operating at the main headquarters and jail.

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

Huckelberry's memo references Staten's appearances on radio shows, saying that Staten criticized the department's current operation.

"Such is a direct conflict and will adversely affect the operation of the Department and effectiveness of the Sheriff as a law enforcement entity," Huckelberry wrote in the memo.

In the days since he announced his intentions, Staten attended meetings with local Republican groups and collected signatures, but all on his personal time. He said he hasn’t officially started to campaign or participated in any other election-related activities.

He hasn’t decided yet if he will appeal the sheriff’s decision or if he will retain a lawyer. The primary election is Aug. 30.

“I know that by being put on administrative leave, it’s only going to make me fight more,” he said. “In my mind, I need to decide if my constitutional rights or freedom of speech have been violated.”

Staten says he’s gathered a large number of signatures and expects he will turn them over to the Pima County Elections Office in the next week.

Staten has worked for the Sheriff’s Department since 1990, most recently heading up the department’s Mental Health Support Team.

In late March, Republican Mark Napier also announced his intention to run for sheriff.

According to a post on his campaign’s Facebook page, Napier has collected more than 1,000 signatures and will be turning them in this week.

Nanos was appointed in July 2015 by the Board of Supervisors to serve the rest of retiring Sheriff Clarence Dupnik’s term.

He announced his plans to run for a full term earlier this month.