It seemed like more of a publicity stunt than anything else, and now the public knows that a lawsuit brought by Sen. Jeff Flake’s son Austin against former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio was baseless after a jury found in favor of the Sheriff.
Austin Flake and his former wife, Logan Brown, sued Arpaio for malicious prosecution due to an investigation by Arpaio’s office into the deaths of 21 dogs at a kennel operated by Flake’s in-laws. Flake and Brown were tending to the animals when they were left to die in the kennel from heat exhaustion.
The criminal case against Flake and Brown was dismissed in what many believed was a political favor by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
Brown’s parents later pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges.
The dogs died when an air conditioner failed because the Brown did not properly maintain it.