Arpaio statements about Gascón leaks questioned

On several occasions this week, Sheriff Joe Arpaio accused Mesa police Chief George Gascón of "leaking" information to the media about the sheriff's planned immigration sweeps.

Gascon praises officers, criticizes sweeps

Mesa sweep heats up Arpaio-Gascón feud

But in fact, according to interviews with protesters, police officers and the Maricopa County sheriff's own staff, Valley activists knew about the sweeps a full two days before Gascón, and they began to spread the word to local media on Sunday.

The time line is important because Arpaio is blaming Gascón for botching the sweeps, which the sheriff planned for more than two months.

Some of those activists were the first to call the Tribune on Sunday night with word that the operation was coming to the city Thursday.

"We had a credible source that was telling us to get ready," said Antonio Bustamante, a Phoenix attorney who actively organized protesters. He was not, however, among those who called the Tribune.

Bustamante said word spread quickly around the activist community, and some called the police chief on Monday asking for confirmation.

Gascón, however, did not know anything about the sweep, Bustamante said.

Bustamante would not name the source of the information, but added: "It was not the Mesa PD."

Still, after the sheriff decided to change his game plan on Thursday and move deputies away from where protesters gathered, he blew up at Mesa's police chief and accused Gascón of actively seeking out media attention.

"We had to change our operation up because of all the hype," the sheriff said on Thursday night, adding that because of the "leak" he will not tell Gascón about future sweeps.

Bustamante's comments fit exactly with what Gascón said during an editorial board meeting with the Tribune on Wednesday.

Gascón said he got calls from activists on Monday and his staff tried to contact the sheriff's office that day to see if they were true.

"Officially, they denied they had an operation," he said, "only to find out on Tuesday that they did."

It wasn't until 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, when the sheriff's office hand-delivered a letter to Gascón, that he was able to confirm the rumors were true.

On Friday, the sheriff's office was asked to provide a time line of the week's events, but declined.

"I will only confirm that prior communication at the Chief level occurred," wrote sheriff's Capt. Paul Chagolla in an e-mail.

Detective Diana Tapia, a Mesa police spokeswoman, confirmed on Friday that was accurate - the sheriff's Deputy Chief Brian Sands called Mesa's Assistant Chief John Meza on his cell phone just before the letter was delivered.

"Meza received a phone call shortly before we received the letter," she said.

Otherwise, no prior notification was made, she said.

By the time the sheriff's office confirmed the sweeps were coming, the Valley's media was already calling Gascón for comment.