U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters that the ongoing grand jury investigation into allegations that Sheriff Joe Arpaio is abusing his power is serious and "will produce results."

Local radio station KTAR is reporting that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio may be considering a gubernatorial run:

(Arpaio) won't say what he'd do about the state budget if elected.

"First of all I won't answer that and give away my secrets to all the other opponents," he said. "I will answer that if I decide to run. People have to understand where I'm coming from."

He's confident that he'd win the election and can do the job of governor. "I'll take my resume and put it against anybody in this state where I've been in private business. I've been in the Army...I met with ambassadors. I can go on and on."

A November 2008 study by Rasmussen Reports showed Arpaio with a clear advantage over other likely candidates.

In other news, a Department of Justice official sent a strongly worded letter to Arpaio's attorney in a civil rights case over the weekend, saying that the DOJ said it would examine a written summary of the racketeering allegations, not dig through the entire case files.

Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas announced Thursday they were dropping the racketeering suit against the Board of Supervisors because the DOJ was taking over the investigation.

The letter also said that it would share all the material Arpaio sent with the investigators at the U.S. Attorney's Office. Arpaio is currently the subject of a federal grand jury investigation into allegations of abuse of power.

Sources have told both The Arizona Republic and KPHO that Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and his office are now under investigation for abuse of power.

5 Investigates has spoken with sources who say FBI agents have been questioning county employees about Thomas' office.

A federal grand jury has already been impaneled to look into abuse-of-power allegations involving Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.


In slightly related news, the court cases involving Maricopa County supervisors Don Stapley and Mary Rose Wilcox were handed to Yavapai County Attorney Daisy Flores on Thursday. A Pima County judge recently ruled that Thomas was abusing his power by continuing the cases against the supervisors.