Arizona rancher's defense expert rips $1M 'political prosecution' by 'ethically bankrupt' officials

Arizona rancher George Alan Kelly will learn Monday if prosecutors decided to bring a second trial against him over the shooting of a Mexican national on his border property.

"The actors in this county and the county prosecutors and the sheriff in this county, and the investigators in this case stand out to me to be the most morally and ethically bankrupt people I've ever encountered in my 50-year career," Martinelli told Fox News Digital last week. "It was singular in the way that they looked at this case and the way they handled this case."  Danielle Wallace is a reporter for Fox News Digital covering politics, crime, police and more. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on Twitter: @danimwallace. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Silva and Hathaway for comment.

"This was a political prosecution," Martinelli added. "They had zero forensic evidence. They had tons of exculpatory information and evidence supporting Mr. Kelly's innocence in this. Yet they continued to push forward and with their false narratives to convict this man. I would suggest, this is my opinion, that they used lawfare against him. I mean, they didn't even have a motive that they were able to establish in this case."