In a bid to defeat Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona, billionaire George Soros has donated $2 million, Politico reported.
It's the latest big expenditure by Soros in local law enforcement campaigns in the last 12 months.
Soros' campaign will file documents Friday declaring his investments against Arpaio, the report said. Billionaires Laura and John Arnold from Texas will be donating $500,000 for the same cause while Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, will make a contribution of $250,000.
Previously in 2015 and 2016, Soros had spent millions on campaigns to defeat local prosecutors around the country and choose new people who back criminal justice reform measures, according to Politico.
Currently, Soros-financed groups are spending big in three big-city district attorney races: Houston's Harris County, Gilpin and Jefferson counties outside Denver and Phoenix's Maricopa County. His spending has scaled around $1 to $1.5 million in each of these places.
However, Soros' spending against Arpaio, is his single biggest investment in a local race this year. It also marks the billionaire's first effort against a sheriff.
The Soros-funded PAC, Maricopa Strong, has spent $2.9 million in the sheriff's race.
Other Democrats too have chipped in to boost Paul Penzone's candidacy against Arpaio.
Meanwhile, Arpaio's campaign has hit back at Soros' efforts, calling him a "far-left globalist," alleging that "he is trying to buy a local race."
In another development, prosecutors last month said they will charge Arpaio with criminal contempt of court over immigration patrols, according to CBS News.
Arpaio, who has already been found guilty of civil contempt of court in relation to the patrols, could face up to six months in jail if convicted, the report said.
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