Saban: Arpaio a 'lying coward' for rape ad

The Arizona Republican Party has dug up allegations of rape against Maricopa County sheriff candidate Dan Saban for a new ad against the Democrat, which Saban is calling "despicable."

The new ad alleges Saban "misled a government agency about allegations of rape," "was investigated for exposing himself to a child," admitted to "masturbating on county time."

The ad was paid for by the Arizona Republican Party via Arizonans for Public Safety, a group Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Saban's rival and the former defendant in a lawsuit filed by Saban over the allegations, denies involvement with.

Nonetheless, Arpaio got the full force of Saban's ire, when Saban called him a "corrupt, evil and lying coward."

Saban called a press conference to refute the allegations, as he did in his last fight against Arpaio, the 2004 primary in which then-Republican Saban challenged Arpaio for the nomination. Saban accused Arpaio of telling "cowardly lies" about Saban's "experiences as a molested child."

The controversy springs from the claim that Ruby Norman, Saban's adoptive mother, brought forth during the 2004 campaign. In a story on KNXV news, Norman charged that Saban had raped her when he was a teenager.

Saban has vigorously denied the charges, and accused Norman of having abused him. He says he's taken a polygraph to prove that he is telling the truth.

Saban filed a defamation suit against Maricopa County and particularly Joe Arpaio, who Saban claims leaked Ruby Norman's allegations to KNXV reporter Rob Koebel. Koebel ran the story, and was later fired when it was revealed he had contributed $100 to Arpaio's campaign. Koebel was originally included in the suit but later dropped a defendant.

A jury ruled against Saban, and his request for a new trial was denied in July of 2008.

In a release announcing the press conference, the Saban campaign said, "Dan Saban has overcome a difficult past to make something of himself, and has enjoyed a 32-year career as a law enforcement professional. He believes Joe Arpaio is resorting to lies about a 36-year-old incident to distract the media from his dismal record as Maricopa County Sheriff."

TRANSCRIPT OF ANTI-SABAN AD:

Voice Over: Troubling questions about Dan Saban. He misled a government agency about allegations of rape.

Saban was investigated for exposing himself to a child.

Saban even admitted that as a deputy sheriff, he masturbated on county time.

[Dan Saban in black-and-white deposition footage from Dec. 6, 2006]

Off Screen Interviewer: You were being untruthful in saying that you never committed any acts that could be a felony. Do you recall that?

Saban: I believe so.

Voice Over: Paid for by Arizonans for Public Safety. Funding provided by the Arizona Republican Party. 602- 957-7770.