( CNN ) -- The sheriff of Maricopa County , Arizona , lashed out Thursday at Justice Department officials , calling their civil lawsuit alleging civil rights violations against him and his county politically motivated . `` They 're using me for the Latino vote , showing that they 're doing something , taking on the sheriff over an alleged racial profiling , '' Joe Arpaio told reporters in Phoenix . He vowed to defend himself , not for selfish purposes , but to help the thousands of other sheriffs in the country avoid finding themselves in similar situations . `` I 'm not going to surrender my office to the federal government , '' he said . `` I will fight this to the bitter end . '' Arpaio rejected the Department of Justice 's call for monitors to oversee the workings of his department . `` That shows you they want to take over this office , '' he said . `` Under this agreement with the so-called monitor , I 'd probably have to clear every press release before I go public , especially having to do with illegal immigration , with the Department of Justice . '' Arpaio 's remarks came hours after the Justice Department filed the civil lawsuit . `` At its core , this is an abuse-of-power case involving a sheriff and sheriff 's office that disregarded the Constitution , ignored sound police practices , compromised public safety , and did not hesitate to retaliate against perceived critics , '' said Assistant U.S. Attorney General Thomas Perez . The Justice Department had delivered in December a report with findings of civil rights violations and sought to fix them through a negotiated settlement with Maricopa County and its sheriff 's office . Those talks broke down in February over Maricopa 's refusal to consider any agreement that involved an independent monitor , Perez said . `` Attempts to forge solutions to address the serious civil rights and public safety concerns have proven elusive , '' Perez said . According to the civil complaint , the sheriff 's office has displayed a pattern of discrimination against Latinos , which includes racial profiling , unlawful detention and searches , and unlawful targeting of Latinos during raids . The complaint also alleges that Maricopa detention officers discriminated against Latino prisoners in the jail . The targets were often prisoners who do n't speak English well , Perez said . The jailers would give orders only in English , and when the prisoners did n't understand , they would place an entire area of the jail on lockdown for disobedience . `` This incites obvious and unwarranted hostility toward the inmates , potentially placing prisoners and officers alike in harm 's way , '' Perez said . Finally , the complaint recounts a number of cases in which Arpaio and his office allegedly retaliated against perceived enemies . These included judges , lawyers and community leaders who were critical , or perceived to be critical of Maricopa policies . `` Nobody is above the law , and nobody can misuse the legal process to silence those with different opinions , '' Perez said . `` Leadership starts at the top , and all of the alleged violations outlined in the complaint are the product of a culture of disregard for basic rights within MCSO that starts at the top and pervades the organization . '' The December letter said detention officers in Arpaio 's jail invoked slurs and profanities against Latinos , calling them `` wetbacks , '' `` Mexican bitches '' and `` stupid Mexicans . '' Arpaio has denied any discrimination , and one of his attorneys called the Justice Department investigation a `` witch hunt . ''
NEW : ` ` They 're using me for the Latino problem , '' Arpaio says of the lawsuit . The sheriff 's office has not complied with the findings , Sheriff Kennedy says . Sheriff 's actions have nurtured culture of racial bias against Latinos , U.S. A . Arpaio denies discrimination ; sheriff 's attorney calls investigation a ` ` witch hunt ''