The U.S. Justice Department says it will file a civil lawsuit against Maricopa County, the sheriff’s office, and Sheriff Joe Arpaio. From Phoenix, KJZZ’s Mark Brodie reports.

MARK BRODIE: The federal agency today sent letters to Arpaio, his office, and Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, alerting them that DOJ plans to sue. The letters say that’s because efforts to bring the sheriff’s office into compliance with the U.S. Constitution and federal laws cannot be done voluntarily. In December, the Justice Department released the results of a three year investigation into the sheriff’s office. It found incidents of racial profiling, discrimination, and retaliation against political enemies. Arpaio denied the allegations, and called them political pandering. Last month, DOJ cancelled planned talks with MCSO and Arpaio, after he rejected the appointment of a court-appointed monitor for his office.