(The Center Square) – With the election just days away, reports of sexual harassment and misconduct involving Maricopa County Sheriff candidate Tyler Kampf are coming to light.

Kampf has previously dodged questions about a brief report the city released about sexual harassment while he was a lieutenant with the Phoenix Police Department. Now, a lawsuit is forcing the release of hours of audio interviews and text messages between him and a police officer-in-training who eventually became a probation officer and reported to him.

The investigation found that between November 2020 and July 2021, Kampf sexually harassed a female police officer (whose identity has been redacted), violating city and Phoenix police policies prohibiting discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. It was proven that there was a violation.

“I always felt that Kampf was trying to control my work.” [by making] I feel like if I don’t reply, I’ll be in big trouble. [wasn’t] I’m friendly with him, [if I didn’t] He was holding back his actions,” the police officer said in an interview with investigators.

The officer provided investigators with screenshots of text messages between her and Kampf beginning on November 30, 2020.

Officers obtained Mr. Kamp’s personal cell phone number and contacted him to discuss work-related issues. But on Dec. 3, Kamp asked the officer to share photos of the hunt. Kamp reacted to the photo by saying he was “excited” and invited her out for drinks. The officer said she had made it clear she was not interested in a relationship with Kampf and did not think it was appropriate because she was in training and Kampf was married with children. .

Kampf also texted the female officer asking what she was wearing, to which the female officer replied that she was wearing black, to which the man replied, “Black clothes look great on blondes.”

Following Mr. Kampf’s further advances, the female officer sent a message to Mr. Kampf stating that she was not interested in him and wanted to focus on her job. But just a week later, he texted her, “Yoga pants??” I missed the photo…umm, be a little more careful next time!!”

Another time, Kampf asked her to come to a New Year’s Eve party, but she replied that she was at work. He responded, “Oh, I’ll apologize in advance on Thursday night in case I texted you something a little inappropriate after a few drinks.”

A few days later, he texted her the following: Aren’t you proud of me? I didn’t send you anything inappropriate on NYE. ”

After the incident, the female officer said Kamp became uncomfortable and that she “had a problem” with him.

Once the female officer graduated from her police apprenticeship and reported to Kampf, the police officer began tracking her whereabouts by recording her schedule, assignments and vehicles. He met her while she was at work and they discussed personal issues.

The report also states that Kamp interfered with the officer’s training and work opportunities, telling her that she would receive special attention and that people would be jealous because of “her looks.”

The female officer again questioned Kampf about his actions in the text message, to which Kampf replied, “Okay, we got a deal.” So next time I make a comment about you bending over or fiddling with your eyes (intentionally or unintentionally), please tell me to stop doing that and grow up…”

However, Kampf continued to harass her and even discussed his sex life with her. That lasted until Kampf retired from Phoenix PD and moved to Ghana. The female police officer changed her phone number and made a report. She said in her report that she was too scared to report Kampf before then because he was her deputy and she didn’t want to lose her job. She said she did everything she could to avoid comp. When he saw Kump, he hid and remained in his patrol car until the end of his shift.

Following the publication of the full investigation, Kamp’s campaign said it had not participated in any interviews during the investigation. However, an audio file was obtained that proves otherwise.

During the interview, Kamp said he had no recollection of any inappropriate conversation with the female officer and that he lost his cell phone in South Africa and could not provide evidence of text messages.

“Any conversation, if you want to call it a flirtatious conversation or a joke, was completely mutual and requested by her,” Kampf said, adding that he would have such conversations with co-workers as well. “That’s not true,” he said. I want the younger generation to understand. ”

He said he doesn’t understand how even if the officer’s allegations were true, they could be considered sexual harassment.

“You might engage in friendly banter with another man or woman,” Kampf said. “It doesn’t mean I’m attracted to them. It doesn’t mean I want to get into their pants.”

This was not the first time Kampf had violated the department’s administrative regulations.

The investigation found substantive evidence that in 2013, Kamp used police resources to contact the Arizona Criminal Justice Information System about the husband of a female colleague with whom she had an “intimate relationship.” .

The co-worker asked Kampf to look up her husband’s driver’s license because he didn’t have his wallet with him and needed the number. The husband said in an interview that he asked his wife if he had any information, but that he did not know Kampf was conducting this search.

Kampf was suspended for eight hours without pay.

Kump’s campaign issued a statement calling the release of these records a “desperate” effort by Republican candidate Jerry Sheridan.

But this actually came from a public records request from Maricopa County resident Brian Anderson.

Mr. Anderson requested these records in March after hearing rumors about Mr. Kamp’s wrongdoing and told Center Square he had no connection to Mr. Sheridan’s campaign. Anderson added that he filed the records request in March, when neither Sheridan nor Kampf were candidates.

Anderson was forced to file a lawsuit after the Phoenix Police Department failed to provide Kampf’s personnel file for six months.

“Whether Mr. Kampf’s personnel file reveals anything is an entirely separate matter from the point of the lawsuit. The government should not assess the magnitude of the election by withholding records.” Anderson said. “Especially when you have a candidate for this office that oversees law enforcement for 4.45 million people, it’s really important that voters have timely access to public records to know how people perform in public office. ”

Read the full report below.