An Arizona sheriff running for Congress on a conservative family values platform has been accused of destroying a friend's marriage by engaging them in his swinging lifestyle. Ex-Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, 53, a Trump-endorsed Republican candidate for US Representative in Arizona's 5th Congressional District, faces allegations from multiple women of extramarital affairs and sending lewd texts.
Lamb and his wife Janel allegedly sent nude and provocative photos to others in their private lives. Jillian Stannard, a longtime friend, claimed they engaged her husband in an affair that led to divorce, according to the Arizona Republic. She alleged Lamb facilitated the affair between his wife and her husband Matt Hilsabeck, a close friend and chair of Lamb's election committee, involving them in a swinging club.
The outlet reported Thursday that Lamb had a habit of sending flirtatious messages and photos to women, contrasting with his 'family man' image. In one incident, Lamb allegedly threatened to send state police after Tammy Peacock to stop her sharing his messages and photos. He sent her a link to the state's revenge porn statute, warning it was a 'Class 4 felony,' and said, 'Please just no more posting... I will call DPS,' claiming he could control them.
Lamb has denied allegations of sexual impropriety, with his attorneys calling the accusations 'false' and 'baseless.' The Arizona Republic shared dozens of alleged raunchy exchanges and sexual images from Lamb's phone and social media before and after he became sheriff in 2017. Andrew Gould, a former Arizona Supreme Court justice working for Lamb's campaign, said rumors had 'circulated online for years' and were repeated to cause harm.
Lamb has made his sheriff experience central to his campaign, titling his 2020 memoir 'American Sheriff: Traditional Values in a Modern World.' He and Janel are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, the report claims they are 'open with a close circle of friends about their sexual activity and partners,' often sharing nude photos. Stannard alleged Lamb showed her a picture of his penis and facilitated an affair between his wife and her husband.
Tammy Peacock alleged an extramarital affair with Lamb for years, even getting a tattoo of his badge. She claimed Lamb threatened her with revenge porn charges when she tried to go public. Lamb allegedly told her he could control the DPS and order them 'not to proceed,' adding, 'My wife says she is okay with that too.'
Allegations have haunted Lamb's political ambitions before, including his 2020 re-election campaign when opponents called him a 'sexual predator.' A legal filing said Pinal County Prosecuting Attorney Brad Miller allegedly bragged about Lamb being a swinger and sending 'dick pics.' Lamb denied these claims, saying people say 'nasty stuff' in politics.
Another woman, a Colorado law enforcement officer, claimed she and Lamb planned a sexual tryst after meeting through his campaign's social media. He allegedly told her he was 'totally okay with excessively flirty.' The Republic obtained Lamb's private correspondence from a former campaign staffer and three women.
Lamb and his wife have repeatedly denied being swingers. With Trump's endorsement, Lamb is the presumptive nominee for the deep red House seat. However, the allegations have threatened his campaign and led to an investigation by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2018.
