Sheriff's office outsourced investigations to Cyber Ninjas-tied firm
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Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan. Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) failed to properly vet a firm with ties to the Cyber Ninjas audit of the 2020 election before awarding it an investigative contract, per a newly-unsealed report from the court-appointed monitor overseeing the agency.
Why it matters: The report calls into question the administration of Sheriff Jerry Sheridan as MCSO pushes for an end to the monitor's oversight, which was imposed by a federal judge in 2013 as the result of class-action racial profiling case.
- "If there was any good faith and goodwill that the agency was trying to establish, it seems like they are in a hurry to undo that," Raul Piña, a member of the court-appointed community advisory board overseeing MCSO, tells Axios.
The other side: MCSO spokesperson Chris Hegstrom tells Axios that MCSO "is currently reviewing the Monitor's report, but as always, we remain committed to full and effective compliance with the Court's orders."
- The county Board of Supervisors, which approved the contract and subsequent extension to it, did not immediately respond to questions from Axios.
What's inside: The report — which is 226 pages long with exhibits — details the apparently lax process for hiring AZ Truthfinder, an investigative firm founded by and run by former Gilbert police officer Stephanie Ameiss.
- The firm was one of three to bid for a contract to handle internal investigations in place of the agency's Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) when MCSO personnel had conflicts of interest.
- AZ Truthfinder won the bid and has been paid $270,000 by the county to investigate cases since June 2025.
- According to emails included in the monitor's report, MCSO leadership made the decision to award the contract to AZ Truthfinder less than 24 hours after reviewing the bids.
That review — or lack of it — missed a lot about Ameiss and her firm, the report says.
- The resume provided by Ameiss with her bid omitted her time working with the Cyber Ninjas audit commissioned by the Arizona Legislature — an audit the county resisted.
- Ameiss also did not include the six years she spent as lead investigator for the consulting firm Understanding the Threat, which "posted videos and articles online spewing hate speech against Muslims and their faith, Black Lives Matter activists, Democratic politicians and others," per the report.
- Axios attempted to contact Ameiss through AZ Truthfinder's web portal but got no response.
What they're saying: "Either the 'vetting process' was a sham; or any vetting that they did conduct revealed some of the same material we uncovered, but they chose to ignore it," the report concludes.
Catch up quick: MCSO and the county have pushed to end the court's oversight of the agency, citing a compliance price tag of more than $360 million.
- Federal Judge G. Murray Snow has rejected that request, noting that MCSO has yet to complete his required reforms — including clearing the agency's PSB complaint backlog, which sat at 240 cases as of Aug. 31.
Zoom out: The monitor has uncovered other troubling issues with MCSO, with an audit last year showing that the agency overstated its compliance costs by $160 million.
- In June, the monitor revealed that leadership placed a PSB commander on leave when he resisted attempts to interfere in cases against disciplined deputies.
What's next: The monitor recommended the report be referred for a possible misconduct investigation.