Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, a Republican running for Congress with backing from former President Donald Trump, is confronting allegations that he engaged in multiple sexual relationships over several years and used his law enforcement position to intimidate or silence accusers. The claims were detailed in a review of communications dating back to 2016 and involve messages from three women and a former campaign staffer.
Accusations and campaign impact
Those who provided materials to reporters say the exchanges continued through Lamb’s first campaign for sheriff and his tenure in office through 2020. Two women, identified in reporting as Jillian Stannard and Yvonne Belloc, gave interviews about their allegations. A third woman, Tammy Peacock, compiled messages before she died in 2021 that she said showed explicit exchanges with Lamb beginning in 2016.
“I love that tattoo.”
That line appears in screenshots tied to Peacock after she got a star-shaped badge tattoo reading, “Sheriff Lamb 2016,” according to the materials reviewed. The messages reportedly include nude photos and sexual content exchanged during Lamb’s 2016 campaign and afterward.
Denials and differing accounts
Lamb disputes the characterization of those contacts as an affair with Peacock, writing in a 2020 memoir that she was a troubled, drug-using supporter he sought to manage so she would not disrupt his campaign. He has pushed back against the affair allegations in public statements.
The allegations were raised as a campaign issue by Daniel Keenan, a self-funding businessman and Lamb’s likely primary opponent. Keenan’s challenge intensified after an Arizona Republic investigation published in May reported the communications and described claims that Lamb used his office to open or threaten investigations into women who tried to report or publicize the relationships.
Why it matters in Arizona
This race is for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Rep. Andy Biggs, who is running for governor. Lamb arrived in the primary with a strong position, bolstered by Trump’s endorsement. But allegations that a lawman used his authority to intimidate private citizens carry implications for public trust in elected officials and for the ethics voters weigh in a primary.
- Alleged timeframe: Messages dating back to 2016 and continuing through Lamb’s time as sheriff through 2020.
- Sources of materials: Three women who provided screenshots and one former campaign staffer who ran social media.
- Political context: Contest for an open Arizona congressional seat; Trump-backed Lamb faces Daniel Keenan in the GOP primary.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Candidate | Mark Lamb, 53 |
| Alleged period | 2016–2020 |
| Sources cited | Three women, one former staffer |
As the Republican primary approaches, voters and local party operatives will have to weigh competing narratives: the documented messages and personal accounts on one side, and Lamb’s denials and his contention that some contacts were the actions of unstable supporters on the other. The Arizona race will test how such allegations shape nomination fights in a state where endorsements and law-and-order credentials have previously been decisive.
News Block will continue to follow reporting and developments in the race, including any responses from Lamb, other campaigns, and law enforcement records that bear on the allegations.
