The Best Story of the Week: Gay Bashing/Border Fence Supporting Sherrif has a Gay Mexican Lover...REALLY???

A Pinal County supervisor and an immigrant-rights group are calling for investigations into Sheriff Paul Babeu, even as the attorney for the embattled lawman said Babeu will not ask for an outside review to clear his name.

Babeu, who won office promising county voters that he would clean house after government scandals and has touted his law-enforcement credentials in his bid for Congress, has repeatedly denied allegations that he threatened a Mexican ex-boyfriend with deportation to keep him quiet about their relationship.

Those allegations surfaced Friday in a newspaper story that also described suggestive photos posted by Babeu on dating websites and intimidating text messages he allegedly sent. The resulting media firestorm raised questions about the alleged threats and about Babeu's personal conduct.

Andrew Hall, a California-based police-procedure and administration consultant, said other lawmen who have claimed to be wrongfully accused have asked for independent investigations -- and subsequently been cleared.

But Chris DeRose, Babeu's attorney and campaign manager, said that if the ex-boyfriend, identified only as Jose, believes his allegations against Babeu are credible, he should be the one to take them to law enforcement for investigation. The sheriff, he said, will not.

"This is all just silliness," DeRose said. "It's not even something we've seriously considered."

Although Babeu claims that he, too, is a victim -- in this case, of identity theft by Jose -- Babeu has also declined to press charges.

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