Phoenix Blog

Former reporter says Saban, Arpaio 'slime buckets'

By Evan Brown
Category: LocalTags: Dan Saban, Joe Arpaio, Rob Koebel, Arizona Republican Party

A former journalist, who lost his job while covering the first matchup between Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his current challenger, Dan Saban, is speaking out against both candidates, and faulting the media for not properly presenting the race.

Calling both candidates "slime buckets," Rob Koebel said that both Arpaio and Saban "act out of shattered pride and ego at tax payers expense."

Koebel was at the center of a controversy surrounding a report he did for KNXV (Channel 15), when Saban was challenging Arpaio for the Republican nomination for sheriff in 2004.

The report involved allegations that Saban raped his adoptive mother while he was a teenager – allegations which Saban denies - and is seen as contributing to Saban's loss four years ago. Koebel was later discovered to have made a $100 contribution to the Arpaio campaign and was dismissed from KNXV.

"I have never voted once for either Joe or Dan," Koebel said. "The donation was an oversight by me and a poor one at that. However, it would be absurd for anyone to think that I would give up my career to see Arpaio elected!"

Saban sued the county, Arpaio, Koebel and Scripps Howard Broadcasting, Channel 15's parent company, for defamation of character. A jury ruled against Saban in the one that went to trial, while the others were dropped.

Koebel said Saban and he spoke and emailed for months, but "when I said I wouldn't stand next to him as a supporter he became mad and sued me."

Koebel also said he sued Scripps Howard to "expose exactly how the [Maricopa County Sheriff's Office] acts questionable."

Koebel made no bones about his problems with Joe Arpaio, and echoed numerous criticisms about the current sheriff, especially his aversion to oversight. He said that media scrutiny of Arpaio was warranted, but that he "is the only one the media is asking the tough questions of."

Saban's problems are of his own creation, said Koebel.

"Unable to be articulate on any points about why he is qualified to be sheriff or on his past success he resorts to his old game, the 'sheriff's office is launching yet another smear campaign against me,'" Koebel assessed. "I might not blame him for doing that because it seems it has been the only thing the biased and liberal media likes to report that involves Saban. "

He accused Saban of using some of Arpaio's tactics.

"It was Saban who sat in a room full of attorneys at the end of his first deposition with his hands holding his head,” Koebel said. “He wanted to stop the lawsuit and 'put the Genie back into the bottle.' His only condition was that the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office seal his deposition and prevent it from ever becoming public. The exact same type of wrong activity he claims Arpaio and his deputies are doing."

As for the controversial ad against Saban, who as a Democrat is challenging Arpaio again, that brought back the rape allegations and included other embarrassing details from a deposition Saban gave, Koebel said, "I applaud it." For Koebel, Saban brought the trouble on himself.

"Saban must stop creating his own 'political jihad,'" said Koebel. "He needs to give up appealing a frivolous lawsuit and take his attack on Joe Arpaio out of the courtroom and to the streets and voters if he really wants to win."

In support of his claims, Koebel provided PolitickerAZ.com with depositions from the lawsuit Saban filed against him and the other defendants. Saban's deposition indicates he and Koebel spoke several times before Saban sued Koebel, but that Saban did not originally intend Koebel to be a defendant in the defamation lawsuit. It also backs up some of the claims made in the recent ad from the Arizona Republican Party that revived these issues.

Saban was contacted by PolitickerAZ.com, but he said, "any questions involving Rob Koebel are going to be 'no comment.'"

Sheriff Arpaio's campaign was also contacted, but calls were not returned.

Send tips to evan.brown@politickeraz.com