Highlights
- The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0, with one abstention, to refer perjury allegations against Sheriff Chris Nanos to the Arizona Attorney General's Office.
- A separate motion by Supervisor Steve Christy to declare the sheriff's office vacant and begin replacing Nanos failed when no other supervisor supported it.
- More than 250 members of the Pima County Deputies Organization voted no confidence in Nanos; none voted in support.
- Nanos faces scrutiny over his handling of the Nancy Guthrie disappearance and résumé misrepresentations tied to his El Paso Police Department work history.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Tuesday to send allegations of potential perjury by Sheriff Chris Nanos to the Arizona Attorney General's Office, as reported by KTAR and corroborated by 12 News and AZ Central. One supervisor abstained. The board directed the county administrator to forward the allegations to state prosecutors but stopped short of making any finding that perjury was committed.
Supervisor Rex Scott, who made the referral motion, said the action followed legal advice. The board does not have authority to remove Nanos on its own. A separate motion by Supervisor Steve Christy to declare the sheriff's office vacant and begin the process of replacing Nanos failed when no other supervisor supported the action.
The referral compounds a series of overlapping crises for Nanos. The board's action follows scrutiny over his handling of the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of "Today" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, as well as reporting that his official résumé misrepresented his work history with the El Paso Police Department. A recall petition against Nanos was filed last month.
Scott also pointed to a no-confidence vote by the Pima County Deputies Organization in which more than 250 members voted against the sheriff and none voted in support. "There is a real crisis of confidence within the department in his leadership," Scott said, calling on Nanos to publicly acknowledge the problem and present a plan to rebuild trust.
What happens next with the perjury referral?
The Arizona Attorney General's Office will now decide whether to open a formal investigation or take other action. The board made no determination on whether perjury was actually committed; that judgment rests with state prosecutors. No timeline for a response from the AG has been publicly stated.
The AG referral is now in state prosecutors' hands; the recall petition filed last month runs on a separate track.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- ktar.com retrieved 13/05/2026 20:58
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 13/05/2026 20:58. Every claim traces to a source.
