Far right Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio (who’s also a Birther), is on trial for contempt of court, and yesterday he admitted under oath that he hired a private eye to investigate the wife of a federal judge who is overseeing an effort to reform Arpaio’s little fiefdom.

News that Arpaio, an elected official who was once the subject of an FBI investigation that he abused his law-enforcement power, decided to have someone investigate a federal judge who is overseeing efforts to reform the Sheriff’s Office was met with gasps and murmurs in the downtown Phoenix courtroom.

Arpaio made the confession to Snow himself, after the judge questioned him about allegations made in a New Times article in June.

[…]

Arpaio said he that he had come into the possession of an email from a tipster who said he had met Snow’s wife at a restaurant, and that she said Snow “wanted to do everything to make sure I’m not elected.”

Arpaio said his counsel then hired a private investigator to look into the matter.

“Results confirmed that your wife was in that restaurant,” Arpaio told Snow. “I guess (the investigator) talked to the witness, confirmed that that remark was made.”