Feds sue Arizona sheriff in civil rights probe

The U.S. Justice Department's civil rights unit sued Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Thursday for refusing to turn over records in a civil rights investigation. The lawsuit says the Maricopa County lawman's office acted in an "unprecedented" way by refusing to hand over documents that could show whether Arpaio's tough-on-crime traffic sweeps violated the civil rights of Hispanics who were pulled over and whether he mistreated prisoners in his custody. Federal authorities say they can't move forward with their investigation until they get arrest records and other information. Arpaio, who gained national attention for making inmates work on chain gangs, live in tent cities and wear pink clothes, says the Justice Department case is politically motivated. His attorney calls the federal demands wildly overbroad.