Arpaio: I briefed Santorum on birth certificate investigation

Phoenix (CNN) – Joe Arpaio, the sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, briefed GOP contender Rick Santorum on his investigation into President Barack Obama’s birth certificate, the controversial law enforcement official told reporters Tuesday. After a speech to a Republican gathering in Phoenix where Santorum appeared earlier in the day, Arpaio explained he wanted to inform the candidate of his investigation “as a matter of fairness in case he wouldn’t want me to support him.” CNN LIVE: Tune in Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET for the last presidential debate before Super Tuesday, the CNN/Arizona Republican Party Debate hosted by John King. Follow it on Twitter at #CNNDebate and on Facebook at CNN Politics. For real-time coverage of the Arizona and Michigan primaries, go to CNNPolitics.com or to the CNN apps or CNN mobile web site . – Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker Arpaio said he plans to endorse one of the four remaining GOP candidates in the coming weeks. But the sheriff added he would not make his choice known before he announces the findings of his birth certificate probe at a news conference set for March 1st. This endorsement would be his second in the race; in November 2011, he endorsed then-candidate Rick Perry. Santorum, he said, seemed to have no problem with the nature of his investigation. “He had no problems with what I told him that I may be doing,” Arpaio told reporters. The sheriff said he is conducting the investigation after receiving requests from “the tea party.” Arpaio added he believes he is doing the president a favor. “I really started this on the theory that maybe I could clear this mess up,” Arpaio told reporters. “Wouldn’t it be nice for me to do that?” The White House released the president’s birth certificate last year. Officials in Hawaii where Obama was born have verified its authenticity. A federal Department of Justice investigation into Arpaio’s office made public in December described “a pervasive culture of discriminatory bias against Latinos at MCSO that reaches the highest levels of the agency.” He dismissed the allegations as a politically-driven “witch hunt.” Also see: Paul ad slams Santorum Obama campaign takes a swing at Santorum Gingrich describes Obama as a national security risk Franklin Graham questions Obama, Romney on Christian Faith

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Arpaio: I briefed Santorum on birth certificate investigation