Move to oust Nancy Guthrie sheriff fails as Pima County supervisors refer perjury allegations to AG

A determination to oust Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos failed during a Board of Supervisors gathering connected Tuesday night, though the committee voted to notation perjury allegations to the authorities lawyer general's bureau arsenic Nanos' past grounds and handling of the Nancy Guthrie lawsuit person been heavy scrutinized.

Republican Steve Christy moved to person the committee state the sheriff's bureau vacant and statesman the process to regenerate him immediately. No 1 seconded the motion, though, and the bid to oust him failed.

Democrat Rex Scott past made a question to notation allegations of perjury against Nanos to the authorities AG's office, which the committee approved by a ballot of 4-0, with Christy abstaining.

The board's actions capped a high-stakes showdown implicit allegations that the antheral starring the Guthrie kidnapping probe lied nether oath astir his past constabulary record.

PIMA COUNTY SUPERVISORS MOVE TO OUST SHERIFF LEADING NANCY GUTHRIE KIDNAPPING PROBE OVER PERJURY CLAIMS

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos leaves a gym successful Tucson, Ariz., connected May 9, 2026. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)

The developments followed weeks of mounting unit from wrong the county’s ain leadership, with 2 supervisors, Christy and Democrat Matt Heinz, pushing to region the elected sheriff oregon instrumentality ceremonial enactment against him.

"This is accountability for a feline who has evaded accountability for decades," Heinz told Fox News Digital past week, calling Nanos a "public information threat."

At the halfway of the contention are claims Nanos misled officials astir his disciplinary past arsenic a Texas constabulary serviceman successful the 1970s and 1980s.

The allegations stem from a deposition successful a lawsuit, wherever Nanos said nether oath that helium had ne'er been suspended arsenic a instrumentality enforcement officer.

Records from El Paso, archetypal obtained by the Arizona Republic and aboriginal posted publically by the county, amusement helium was suspended aggregate times and resigned successful lieu of termination.

Christy said the sheriff had already missed a deadline to reply questions nether oath from the committee — escalating the situation.

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"He’s already failed that request… truthful we’re into the adjacent phase," Christy said, signaling a imaginable determination to vacate the office.

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Because the sheriff is an elected official, removing him is legally complicated, though supervisors person pointed to a seldom utilized Arizona instrumentality dating backmost to the 1800s arsenic a imaginable way forward.

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Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos speaks to the media successful Catalina, Ariz., connected Feb. 3 portion answering questions astir the hunt for Nancy Guthrie. (Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images)

Even without removal, Heinz said the committee could inactive instrumentality different actions, including passing a solution expressing a deficiency of assurance oregon referring the allegations for transgression probe by the authorities lawyer general.

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He besides noted that a condemnation connected perjury charges would yet unit the sheriff from office.

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Adding to the tension, some sides person retained extracurricular ineligible counsel alternatively than relying connected the region attorney’s office, a determination Christy said is costing taxpayers further money.

SHERIFF UNDER FIRE AMID NANCY GUTHRIE CASE ALLEGEDLY BROUGHT LOADED FIREARM TO AIRPORT CHECKPOINT

A Pima County sheriff's authoritative stands extracurricular Nancy Guthrie's location successful Tucson, Ariz., connected Feb. 14, 2026. (Ty O'Neil/AP)

In a written effect to the board, Nanos pushed backmost connected the claims, arguing the contention stems from a misunderstanding, not perjury.

His lawyer says the sheriff’s grounds referred lone to his Arizona career, noting helium was ne'er suspended during his decades with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, though helium faced subject earlier successful Texas.

The memo besides confirms Nanos resigned from the El Paso Police Department successful 1982 alternatively than judge a projected suspension pursuing a quality with a supervisor.

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Heinz has disputed that characterization, arguing the grounds shows Nanos resigned successful lieu of termination, not discipline.

The sheriff declined to reply questions successful idiosyncratic nether oath, alternatively submitting a notarized connection to the committee aft the deadline, which Heinz said whitethorn inactive beryllium accepted but does not resoluteness the underlying concerns.

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Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos exits the property country aft giving an update connected the probe into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, 84, successful Tucson, Ariz., connected Feb. 5, 2026. (REUTERS/Rebecca Noble)

The probe into Guthrie’s Feb. 1 disappearance has present stretched past 100 days with fewer nationalist breakthroughs.

The case, involving the 84-year-old parent of "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie, has drawn nationalist attraction and sparked hostility betwixt Nanos and the FBI, including a nationalist clash with Director Kash Patel implicit whether national agents were initially sidelined.

Heinz has besides called connected the sheriff to manus implicit the probe to national authorities.

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"It’s ridiculous," helium said. "Almost each different jurisdiction would person done truthful by now."

More than $1.2 cardinal successful reward wealth is present being offered for accusation that leads to answers, arsenic her household continues to plead for help.