APACHE COUNTY-Apache County Attorney’s Office staff wrote a letter to Michael B. Whiting, asking him to resign after their office was searched with a search warrant on Tuesday in an investigation led by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. Whiting’s whereabouts remain unknown.
The letter was written by Chief Deputy County Attorney Celeste Robertson, Assistant Chief Deputy County Attorney Tyron Jensen and Lead Prosecutor Garet Kartchner.
Whiting did not come to the Apache County Attorney’s building at the request of his staff and the task force while the Attorney General’s task force executed the search warrant on Tuesday.Â
While the search proceeded, Whiting turned his phone off, and the GPS device on his county vehicle was disabled, according to the letter. The letter also states staff did not know where he was.
The letter states the staff did not know the allegations against Whiting but that it creates uncertainty about the Apache County Attorney’s Office.
Whiting has not returned to the office since according to sources and he did not reach out to his staff again until Thursday when he tried to downplay the investigation in a text.
“Whiting is currently at-large and Apache County Attorney’s Office staff is frightened of retaliation and we are scared for their lives,” said a staff member to Mountain Daily Star.
The decision to ask Whiting to resign, staff wrote, did not come lightly. The staff explained they hoped the Attorney General’s investigation would be thorough and justice served as they continued to handle hundreds of cases at their office while he remained absent.
“To ensure the integrity of our criminal cases and restore the public’s trust in our office, it is necessary for you to step down,” the staff wrote.
A source from the Apache County Attorney’s Office told Mountain Daily Star, ” We need Mr. Whiting to step down to save Apache County from and more bad press.”
Mountain Daily Star reached out to Whiting and will post his response when its available.
