Arizona Republic: “It’s all-out war inside the Maricopa County government and judicial complex. Each week brings new accusations. Lawsuits have cost taxpayers nearly $2.9 million in attorneys’ fees alone as the County Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office and the Board of Supervisors are embroiled in financial, administrative and legal disputes.”
Phoenix Business Journal: “Apollo Group Inc. announced Monday that it will pay $78.5 million to close the door on a false claims lawsuit filed in 2003 against its subsidiary University of Phoenix. Phoenix-based Apollo said it is not admitting any wrongdoing or noncompliance with the law and notes, the regulations at issue in this case were unclear and inconsistent. The lawsuit was filed by two private plaintiffs as a qui tam action, which allows an individual with information about a fraud to sue on behalf of the federal government.”
See “Qui Tam Suit Against University Nets $78.5 Million Settlement,” which starts:
A team of Bay Area plaintiffs lawyers struck a $78.5 million deal in a long-running false claims suit that accused the University of Phoenix of rewarding recruiters for enrolling students, according to a settlement agreement announced Monday. The agreement, which includes $11 million in attorney fees for the plaintiffs, is among the largest settlements ever of a False Claim Act fraud case in which the government didn’t intervene, said Eric Havian, a qui tam expert and partner with Phillips & Cohen in San Francisco who was not involved in the case.
Arizona Republic: “The operator of University of Phoenix Stadium is suing the Fiesta Bowl to recover more than $400,000 it says is owed by the college-football group. Tom Sadler, president of the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority, said the filing was made Friday in Maricopa County Superior Court. Sadler said the disagreement will not impact the upcoming Fiesta Bowl with its recently announced matchup between Boise State and Texas Christian University.”
Phoenix New Times: “The squabble between Maricopa County officials took yet another turn today
Arizona Republic: “The Arizona Court of Appeals has issued a temporary order that forbids the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office from serving a search warrant on either the home or the chambers of Superior Court Judge Barbara Mundell. . . . Mundell has been named, in along with three other judges, the board of supervisors and two private attorneys representing the supervisors, a federal racketeering suit filed by Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Sheriff Arpaio.”
See “Arpaio and Thomas Thwarted Again in Quest to Read Court E-mail,” “New Turmoil in Embattled Ariz. County as Appeals Court Bans Sheriff from Searching Judge’s Computers” and “Maricopa County in turmoil: Thomas, Arpaio vs. supervisors, judges” which contains the following time line: TIMELINE: A County in Turmoil on Dipity.