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Gilbert mayor named in domestic violence report
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PUBLIC DIALOGUE: Gilbert Mayor Steve Berman talks with resident Fred Phillis, who was behind an unsuccessful effort to recall the mayor.
Ralph Freso, Tribune
Gilbert Mayor Steve Berman is under investigation by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in connection with a domestic violence report, authorities confirmed to the Tribune Friday.
Gilbert clerk resigns over Berman recall error
Officials at the sheriff's office and the Gilbert Police Department would not release any details, other than to confirm the investigation.
Gilbert police Chief Tim Dorn said he was alerted Wednesday and immediately turned the case over to the sheriff's office to avoid "any appearance of a conflict."
He would not reveal who reported Berman, but said police were not dispatched to the mayor's multimillion-dollar house near Lindsay and Guadalupe roads, where he lives with his two children and his wife of six months. Dorn would not say how the incident was reported to police.
Berman did not return repeated phone calls or respond to attempts to contact him at his home.
Likewise, the sheriff's office would not release details regarding the investigation.
"We have ethics and we don't know where this is going," said Sheriff Joe Arpaio. "Someone asked us to take this over, and we're going to look into it."
For Berman, this is the latest twist in a political career in which he has admitted taking advantage of perks from local businesses, including a tailored suit from a Gilbert retailer and the free use of a truck from an automotive dealership.
Last month, Berman narrowly avoided a recall effort because of a miscalculation by the city clerk as to the number of signatures that would be required from the group seeking to oust him from office.
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