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Arizona county board votes not to pay elected prosecutor facing misuse of funds charges

By and Associated Press
Updated  October 31, 2024 7:21pm MST
Apache County
Associated Press
article

The Brief

    • Longtime Apache County prosecutor Michael Whiting's law license was suspended, according to the State Bar of Arizona.
    • Whiting is running unopposed for reelection coming up on Tuesday, but two write-in candidates have emerged.
    • Whiting and his wife Joy are accused of misusing $80,000 in public funds and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mays has charged Michael Whiting on multiple counts.

PHOENIX - A longtime top prosecutor in a rural eastern Arizona county who faces criminal charges of misusing public funds will be stripped of his salary just days before standing unopposed for reelection as a Democrat, following a vote of county elected officials on Thursday.

Michael Whiting’s law license also will be suspended, according to a posting by the State Bar of Arizona, pending resolution of its disciplinary case against him, bar records show.

Both actions become effective Friday.

Neither Whiting nor his attorney, Bruce Griffen, responded to messages seeking comment about the vote by the three-member Apache County Board of Supervisors, which met in St. Johns, Arizona.

READ MORE: AZ AG: Apache County Attorney involved in probe over alleged misconduct

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Whiting and his wife, Joyclynn "Joy" Whiting, the county’s school superintendent, were indicted in August by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes on allegations the couple used nearly $80,000 in superintendent funds to buy a new pickup truck that was mainly used by Michael Whiting. They have pleaded not guilty.

Michael Whiting also faces eight other charges including theft and altering public records, and threatening a person who was attempting to run against his wife for the superintendent position.

The Whitings, both Democrats, were running unopposed for reelection. However, two write-in challengers have emerged in the county and Whiting said that if he wins he can’t serve because his law license is suspended.

Michael Whiting has been the county’s attorney since 2008. Joy Whiting was first elected school superintendent in 2020.

The Source

  • The Associated Press contributed to this report.