Efforts to remove Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos from office were unsuccessful during a Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday evening. However, the board did agree to forward allegations of perjury against Nanos to the state attorney general’s office, amid increased scrutiny of his past actions and his handling of the Nancy Guthrie case.
Republican Supervisor Steve Christy proposed that the board declare the sheriff’s position vacant and begin procedures to appoint a new sheriff. His motion did not receive a second, resulting in the failure of the attempt to unseat Nanos.
Subsequently, Democrat Supervisor Rex Scott proposed that the board refer the perjury allegations against Nanos to the state attorney general. The board approved this motion with a 4-0 vote, while Christy chose to abstain.
“My main concern regarding the situation within the sheriff’s department is that our elected sheriff has made no visible efforts to mend relationships and reestablish trust in our largest department,” Scott remarked following the vote. “The most significant indicator of that was the unanimous vote of no confidence in his leadership by the Pima County Deputy’s Organization.”
The board’s decisions concluded a tense confrontation over claims that the individual leading the Guthrie kidnapping investigation provided false testimony regarding his prior police record under oath.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos exits a gym in Tucson, Arizona, on May 9, 2026. (Photo by Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)
The developments followed weeks of mounting pressure from within the county’s own leadership, with two supervisors, Christy and Democrat Matt Heinz, pushing to remove the elected sheriff or take formal action against him.
“This is accountability for a guy who has evaded accountability for decades,” Heinz told Fox News Digital last week, calling Nanos a “public safety threat.”
At the center of the controversy are claims Nanos misled officials about his disciplinary history as a Texas police officer in the 1970s and 1980s.
The allegations stem from a deposition in a lawsuit, where Nanos said under oath that he had never been suspended as a law enforcement officer.
Records from El Paso, first obtained by the Arizona Republic and later posted publicly by the county, show he was suspended multiple times and resigned in lieu of termination.
Christy said the sheriff had already missed a deadline to answer questions under oath from the board — escalating the situation.
“He’s already failed that request… so we’re into the next phase,” Christy said, signaling a potential move to vacate the office.
Because the sheriff is an elected official, removing him is legally complicated, though supervisors have pointed to a rarely used Arizona law dating back to the 1800s as a possible path forward.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos speaks to the media in Catalina, Ariz., on Feb. 3 while answering questions about the search for Nancy Guthrie. (Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images)
Even without removal, Heinz said the board could still take other actions, including passing a resolution expressing a lack of confidence or referring the allegations for criminal investigation by the state attorney general.
He also noted that a conviction on perjury charges would ultimately force the sheriff from office.
Adding to the tension, both sides have retained outside legal counsel rather than relying on the county attorney’s office, a move Christy said is costing taxpayers additional money.
A Pima County sheriff’s official stands outside Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Ariz., on Feb. 14, 2026. (Ty O’Neil/AP)
In a written response to the board, Nanos pushed back on the claims, arguing the controversy stems from a misunderstanding, not perjury.
His attorney says the sheriff’s testimony referred only to his Arizona career, noting he was never suspended during his decades with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, though he faced discipline earlier in Texas.
The memo also confirms Nanos resigned from the El Paso Police Department in 1982 rather than accept a proposed suspension following a dispute with a supervisor.
Heinz has disputed that characterization, arguing the record shows Nanos resigned in lieu of termination, not discipline.
The sheriff declined to answer questions in person under oath, instead submitting a notarized statement to the board after the deadline, which Heinz said may still be accepted but does not resolve the underlying concerns.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos exits the press room after giving an update on the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, 84, in Tucson, Ariz., on Feb. 5, 2026. (REUTERS/Rebecca Noble)
The investigation into Guthrie’s Feb. 1 disappearance has now stretched past 100 days with few public breakthroughs.
The case, involving the 84-year-old mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, has drawn national attention and sparked tension between Nanos and the FBI, including a public clash with Director Kash Patel over whether federal agents were initially sidelined.
Heinz has also called on the sheriff to hand over the investigation to federal authorities.
“It’s ridiculous,” he said. “Almost every other jurisdiction would have done so by now.”
More than $1.2 million in reward money is now being offered for information that leads to answers, as her family continues to plead for help.
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