Chris Nanos is under pressure after he reportedly skipped a public county meeting where officials were expected to discuss allegations that he lied under oath about his disciplinary history in a 2024 lawsuit.
The controversy comes as scrutiny continues over the handling of the disappearance. Nancy Guthrie84-year-old mother Savannah GuthrieShe disappeared from her home in Arizona earlier this year.
Two members of the Pima County Board of Supervisors plan to introduce a motion calling for Nanos to resign before Tuesday’s meeting or he would be removed from office, the New York Post reported.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department declined to respond directly to the allegations, instead telling The Washington Post: “We will respectfully await the commission’s decision before commenting on this matter.”
What are the charges against Chris Nanos?
At issue is testimony application He was reportedly asked during a legal proceeding in 2024 if he had ever been suspended during his law enforcement career.
According to the New York Post, Nanos’ answer was “no.” However, records later showed he was allegedly suspended multiple times during his tenure with the El Paso, Texas, Police Department decades ago.
The disciplinary action reportedly involves charges of “insubordination” and “consistent inefficiency.” The report also states that Nanos resigned from the department in 1982 “in lieu of disciplinary action” after a dispute with a supervisor.
Also read: Nancy Guthrie case: Reporter talks about new ‘twist’ in investigation, ‘an awkward exchange…’
Nanos’ attorney, James Kuhl, later acknowledged the existence of the disciplinary record in a memo to county officials but argued that the sheriff only mentioned his law enforcement career in Arizona when answering the question.
“Malicious media reporting took this testimony out of context,” Kuhl wrote. He further argued that the events of more than four decades ago were “irrelevant to the performance of his duties as an elected official.”
Officials call for accountability
Critics of the sheriff dispute that explanation.
Pima County Board of Supervisors member Matt Heinz, who supported Nanos’ removal, accused the sheriff of repeatedly evading responsibility.
“This is accountability for a man who has evaded responsibility for decades and is a public safety threat in his own right,” Heinz told Fox News.
The controversy has fueled criticism of the sheriff’s handling of the Nancy Guthrie investigation.
Nancy Guthrie was reportedly kidnapped from her Tucson-area home on February 1 by a masked gunman. Authorities have repeatedly claimed investigators have promising DNA evidence and other clues, but have not publicly identified the suspects or announced any arrests.
