Efforts to remove Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos were unsuccessful during a Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday night. However, the board did decide to forward perjury allegations against Nanos to the state attorney general’s office, following intensified scrutiny of his past record and his handling of the Nancy Guthrie case.
Republican board member Steve Christy proposed a motion to declare the sheriff’s office vacant and commence the process of finding a replacement for Nanos. The motion, however, did not receive any support, leading to its failure.
Subsequently, Democrat Rex Scott proposed a motion to refer the perjury allegations against Nanos to the state attorney general’s office, which was approved by the board with a 4-0 vote. Christy chose to abstain from this vote.
“My primary concern with the current situation in the sheriff’s department is the apparent lack of effort by our elected sheriff to mend relationships and rebuild trust within our largest department,” Scott remarked after the vote. “A significant indicator of this is the unanimous no-confidence vote by the Pima County Deputy’s Organization regarding his leadership.”
The board’s actions culminated a tense standoff over accusations that the lead investigator in the Guthrie kidnapping case committed perjury about his previous police record.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos leaves a gym in Tucson, Ariz., on May 9, 2026. (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.