Donald Trump pardoned former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Friday, using the first official pardon of his presidency to clear the record of one of America's most abusive, racist, and divisive lawmen.

In pardoning Arpaio, Trump has given a free pass to an unrepentant and habitual abuser of power, a man with insufficient regard for the Constitution he swore to uphold or the separation of powers it enshrines. The move should come as no surprise. The two are kindred spirits.

A federal judge found Arpaio, who was notorious for jailing inmates in a sweltering desert tent camp, in contempt of court in July for flouting a 2011 order to stop the unconstitutional racial profiling and detainment of Latino residents.

Trump announced in an interview with Fox News earlier this month that he was "seriously considering" pardoning Arpaio, who endorsed Trump in 2016. "He has done a lot in the fight against illegal immigration," Trump told Fox. "He's a great American patriot and I hate to see what has happened to him."

Civil liberties and immigration advocates loathed Arpaio, and his pardon, they say, marks another ugly moment of Trump using his office to prop up bigotry and nativism. In a statement earlier this month, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said pardoning Arpaio would be "an official presidential endorsement of racism."

Arpaio was investigated twice by the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division for constitutional abuses. Vanita Gupta, the former head of the division under the Obama administration, decried the decision.

"Rather than taking action to unite our nation and heal the wounds he has opened, President Trump is considering using the power of his office to sow hate and division," Gupta said in a statement. "Sheriff Joe Arpaio personifies the same bigotry and intolerance we witnessed in Charlottesville. A pardon of Sheriff Arpaio would be excusing racist and illegal policing policies."

"If President Trump uses his power to pardon a discredited law enforcement official who persistently engaged in illegal racial profiling of the Latino community, it will not be a dog whistle to the so-called 'alt right' and white supremacists, but a bull horn," she continued. "No amount of tweets or forced remarks read from a teleprompter could undo the damage."

Arpaio, the former self-styled "toughest sheriff in America," was elected sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, in 1993. He made a national name for himself with his unconventional and demeaning incarceration practices; inmates lived in a tent city in the desert heat and were forced to wear old-timey striped uniforms, as well as pink underwear. Among Arpaio's other ignoble achievements were running the only female and juvenile chain gangs in the nation.

Arpaio further raised his profile by ordering large-scale sweeps of Latino neighborhoods and traffic stops of Latino drivers to round up illegal immigrants. He also repeatedly peddled birther conspiracy theories about Barack Obama.

Arpaio's litany of offenses against decency and constitutional principles led Reason to name him one of its "45 enemies of freedom" in 2013.

But for being such an outspoken proponent of the rule of law, Arpaio has never been a fan of the law as it applies to himself. The contempt charge was the culmination of decades of battle between Arpaio and the courts, starting in 1995 when a court ordered him to improve health care and mental health treatment in his jails.

That same year, the Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division launched an investigation into alleged excessive force and other constitutional violations at the Tent City jail. Talking Points Memo obtained many of the reports from the investigation:

A DOJ inquiry completed that year found a "pattern of excessive force" by the sheriff's staff. It said officers were using dangerous tactics to deal with inmates, including hog tying them and using stun guns on them when they were already detained with handcuffs or strapped into restraining chairs. The investigation found the jails were overcrowded and understaffed. It said internal investigations into use of force by officers were often lacking in details and conclusions. "Overall, the excessive use of force by staff must be addressed immediately," investigator Eugene Miller wrote in the report, dated January 10, 1996. "In this regard, there are some systemic issues…which allow instances of excessive force to slip between some administrative cracks and thus, go either undetected or unconfronted."

The Justice Department filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) in 1997, but the suit was dismissed in 1998.

In 2007, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors settled a lawsuit filed by the founders of the Phoenix New Times newspaper against Arpaio and the board for $3.5 million. The newspaper founders sued after they were arrested by MCSO deputies for publishing details of a grand jury subpoena for the paper's notes and sources for its coverage of Arpaio. The charges against the newspaper were quickly dropped. The Maricopa County attorney and deputy attorney, on the other hand, were both later disbarred for ethical violations involving campaign finance corruption. Arpaio's chief of staff, who once deployed deputies to spy on Arpaio's political opponents, was fired for his role in the same scandal.

In 2008, Arpaio's jail lost its accreditation after investigators found jail officials provided false information about conditions inside the facility. The Phoenix New Times reported that, at the time, there had been 2,200 lawsuits filed against Arpaio for the conditions inside his jail.

The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division launched another investigation in 2008 into the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. However, the investigation "was delayed when MCSO repeatedly refused to provide the United States with access to pertinent material and personnel," the Justice Department said in a letter describing its findings.

The Justice Department eventually sued the MCSO to gain its cooperation. In 2011, the department released its report, finding that Arpaio's office engage in a pattern and practice of unconstitutional policing.

"Specifically, we find that MCSO, through the actions of its deputies, supervisory staff, and command staff, engages in racial profiling of Latinos; unlawfully stops, detains, and arrests Latinos; and unlawfully retaliates against individuals who complain about or criticize MCSO's policies or practices," Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez wrote.

The Justice Department sued the MCSO yet again in 2012 after it failed to reach an agreement to resolve the constitutional abuses.

For the next five years, Arpaio continued to flout orders by federal judges to improve the conditions inside his jails and cease the unconstitutional racial profiling of Latinos. The MCSO continued to arrest and detain suspected undocumented immigrants, without any pending state charges against them, and hand them over to federal law enforcement, despite a court order barring the practice. The MCSO also held undocumented immigrants past their release date to ensure they were handed over to federal immigration authorities.

The U.S. Attorney's Office charged him with criminal contempt of court last October. In her ruling finding Arpaio in contempt this April, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton cited Arpaio's obstinacy.

"Not only did Defendant abdicate responsibility, he announced to the world and to his subordinates that he was going to continue business as usual no matter who said otherwise," she wrote.

Despite condemnations from national civil rights groups and federal courts, Arpaio was politically untouchable throughout his career. In 2012, Arpaio won reelection by 6 points, and in 2008 he clobbered his opponent by 13 points.

But in 2016, Maricopa County voters finally had enough, and Arpaio lost to a candidate backed by a political action committee funded by liberal megadonor George Soros.</s></s>In honor of his controversial visit just days ago here in the valley, President Donald Trump pardoned the former sheriff who lost his re-election in 2016 and found guilty of criminal contempt earlier this year.

Though this may come as a shock to some, the president has alluded he would take this action and even mentioned it directly during his speech at the Phoenix Convention Center last Tuesday. The former sheriff was facing up to six months in prison.

According to Buzzfeed, the White House released this statement:

Today, President Donald J. Trump granted a Presidential pardon to Joe Arpaio, former Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona. Arpaio’s life and career, which began at the age of 18 when he enlisted in the military after the outbreak of the Korean War, exemplify selfless public service. After serving in the Army, Arpaio became a police officer in Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas, NV and later served as a Special Agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), formerly the Bureau of Narcotics. After 25 years of admirable service, Arpaio went on to lead the DEA’s branch in Arizona. In 1992, the problems facing his community pulled Arpaio out of retirement to return to law enforcement. He ran and won a campaign to become Sheriff of Maricopa County. Throughout his time as Sheriff, Arpaio continued his life’s work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration. Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now eighty-five years old, and after more than fifty years of admirable service to our Nation, he is worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon.</s>WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Donald Trump has pardoned former Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio of his conviction for criminal contempt, the White House said.

Last month, Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt for disregarding a court order in a racial profiling case. He was scheduled to be sentenced October 5.</s>U.S. President Donald Trump has pardoned former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, White House officials said Friday night.

Arpaio was recently convicted in federal court for disobeying a judge’s order to stop his traffic patrols that targeted immigrants. A federal judge ruled in 2013 that Arpaio’s officers had racially profiled Latinos.

In a release, the White House said Arpaio dedicated his life to protecting the public from crime and illegal immigration.

It is Trump’s first presidential pardon.

Trump has been hinting at a pardon for Arpaio for weeks, most recently at a campaign-style rally in Arizona on Tuesday.

“So was Sheriff Joe was convicted for doing his job?” Trump asked. “I’ll make a prediction. I think he’s going to be just fine, OK.”

WATCH: Donald Trump on Sheriff Joe Arpaio: ‘I think he’ll be just fine’

Critics of Trump had previously said that a pardon would amount to an endorsement of racism. Phoenix mayor Greg Stanton said an announcement of a pardon for the former sheriff would show that “his true intent is to inflame emotions and further divide our nation.”

Arpaio, who lost a bid for re-election in Arizona’s Maricopa County in November after 24 years in office, was known for his crackdown on undocumented immigrants and investigating unfounded Trump-supported claims questioning former President Barack Obama’s citizenship.

Along with racial profiling, Arpaio was infamously known for how he ran the Maricopa County jail. He reinstated chain gangs, and forbade inmates from having coffee, salt and pepper. He also brought back the traditional black and white striped uniforms, or made inmates wear pink ones.

Arpaio campaigned for Trump during the 2016 presidential election.

The former sheriff thanked Trump for the pardon, calling his original conviction a political witch hunt.</s>President Donald Trump has pardoned controversial former sheriff Joe Arpaio of his conviction for criminal contempt, the White House said Friday night.

Arpaio, who was a sheriff in Maricopa County, Arizona, was found guilty of criminal contempt last month for disregarding a court order in a racial profiling case. Arpaio’s sentencing had been scheduled for October 5.

“Not only did (Arpaio) abdicate responsibility, he announced to the world and to his subordinates that he was going to continue business as usual no matter who said otherwise,” wrote US District Judge Susan Bolton in the July 31 order.

Trump indicated he would pardon Arpaio at a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, on Tuesday: “I won’t do it tonight because I don’t want to cause any controversy.”

“I’ll make a prediction,” Trump said, adding, “I think he’s going to be just fine.”

However, civil rights groups have pushed back against the possibility of Arpaio’s pardon.

After Trump’s comments at the Phoenix rally, the ACLU tweeted: “President Trump should not pardon Joe Arpaio. #PhoenixRally #noarpaiopardon,” accompanied with a graphic that reads, “No, President Trump. Arpaio was not ‘just doing his job.’ He was violating the Constitution and discriminating against Latinos.”

Arpaio, who has called himself “America’s toughest sheriff,” was an early Trump supporter, but his stance on illegal immigration was what had earned him national recognition.</s>Donald Trump has pardoned one of his most strident supporters, Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Billed as "America's toughest sheriff", Mr Arpaio, 85, was found guilty of criminal contempt last month after defying a court order to stop using racial profiling as a basis for arresting people in Maricopa County, Arizona.

The pardoning of Mr Arpaio was anticipated - Mr Trump hinted as much in a rally in Arizona at the weekend.

But the timing of the announcement with the US bracing itself for the biggest hurricane in more than a decade, is likely to prove controversial.

The pardon was announced in a short press release issued by the White House.

"Throughout his time as Sheriff, Arpaio continued his life’s work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration," Mr Trump said.</s>President Trump has pardoned controversial former Sheriff Joe Arpaio for a misdemeanor criminal contempt conviction.

A statement issued by the White House Friday night said, "Today, President Donald J. Trump granted a Presidential pardon to Joe Arpaio, former Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona."

Known as "America's Toughest Sheriff," Arpaio gained a reputation for his harsh — his critics would say cruel — treatment of immigrants in the country illegally.

Arpaio was convicted of criminal contempt earlier this summer for defying a judge's order that his deputies stop detaining immigrants because they lacked legal status. His deputies carried on the practice for 18 months.

Trump hinted at the pardon last week and again at a Phoenix rally Tuesday night.

Last week, he told Fox News he was "seriously considering" a pardon and that Arpaio is a "a great American patriot" who has done "a lot in the fight against illegal immigration." Tuesday night, he asked the crowd of supporters: "Do the people in this room like Sheriff Joe?"

"You know what, I'll make a prediction: I think he's going to be just fine," he said. "OK? But I won't do it tonight, because I don't want to cause any controversy."

The statement issued by the White House said:



"Arpaio's life and career, which began at the age of 18 when he enlisted in the military after the outbreak of the Korean War, exemplify selfless public service. After serving in the Army, Arpaio became a police officer in Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas, NV and later served as a Special Agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), formerly the Bureau of Narcotics. After 25 years of admirable service, Arpaio went on to lead the DEA's branch in Arizona. "In 1992, the problems facing his community pulled Arpaio out of retirement to return to law enforcement. He ran and won a campaign to become Sheriff of Maricopa County. Throughout his time as Sheriff, Arpaio continued his life's work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration. Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now eighty-five years old, and after more than fifty years of admirable service to our Nation, he is worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon."



In an interview with NPR's Wade Goodwyn last Thursday, Arpaio had equally effusive praise for Trump, predicting that he will end up regarded as the greatest president in American history. He also said he thought that, like him, Trump had been unfairly smeared as a racist. "We need him and I feel sad how they're trying to destroy him. It makes me sick," he said. "I'll tell you one thing, he's got guts and courage and that's what this country needs."

Arpaio said he didn't ask for a pardon and, as of late last week, had not spoken directly to Trump about one. The misdemeanor conviction carries a possible sentence of up to six months.

Among his most controversial measures, the sheriff instructed his deputies to detain Hispanic residents and inquire about their legal status. He then disregarded a federal judge's ruling that he didn't have the legal authority to do so.

In the 1990s, at the start of his tenure, Arpaio opened Tent City jail, which housed inmates outdoors in the blistering Arizona sun. For years, activists criticized it as inhumane. But the newly elected sheriff, Sheriff Paul Penzone, said it was voluntary and inmates preferred it. Counter to Arpaio's claims, Penzone said, there was no evidence that the tough reputation of the jail made people less likely to commit crimes. The city began tearing it down earlier this year.</s>President Donald Trump on Friday pardoned former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of criminal contempt for ignoring a judge’s order not to detain suspected undocumented immigrants, the White House said.

Trump at a campaign-style rally in Phoenix strongly suggested he would pardon Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County. Arpaio had said he would appeal his conviction on misdemeanor contempt.

"Throughout his time as Sheriff, Arpaio continued his life's work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration," the White House said in a statement.

"Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now eighty-five years old, and after more than fifty years of admirable service to our Nation, he is worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon," the White House statement said.

A judge ruled on July 31 that Arpaio committed a crime by disobeying a court order to stop detaining suspected undocumented immigrants.

In 2013, a judge found Arpaio and his deputies had engaged in racial profiling against Latinos, backing up the findings of a 2011 Justice Department report.

Arpaio said in a phone interview with NBC News that his attorneys were made aware of the decision to pardon him several hours before it was announced.

Arpaio said he believes he is vindicated, and will hold a press conference on Monday.

"I'm very appreciative of what the president has done," Arpaio said. "Right now, I have to thank the president for standing by me and standing by law enforcement. And I'm very humbled."

Critics said this week that a presidential pardon would endorse racism against Latinos. The American Civil Liberties Union said "Trump has chosen lawlessness over justice, division over unity, hurt over healing," and called the pardon "a presidential endorsement of racism."

Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona criticized the pardon. He said in a statement that "no one is above the law" and that Arpaio was found guilty "for continuing to illegally profile Latinos living in Arizona based on their perceived immigration status in violation of a judge's orders."

"The President has the authority to make this pardon, but doing so at this time undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions," McCain said.

Republican Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake said of the pardon on Twitter: "I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course."

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, a Democrat, called the pardon a "slap in the face" to the people of Maricopa County and said Arpaio "targeted and terrorized Latino families because of the color of their skin." The NAACP called the pardon an "explicit embrace of the racist policing practices that leave communities fearful."

Arpaio's sentencing phase was set to start on Oct. 5.

Arpaio served as sheriff for 24 years before losing his re-election bid last November. He was known for controversial policies — including jailing prisoners in a tent city and forcing detainees to wear pink underwear — that made him popular with some on the right.

Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey called Arpaio a friend and said "Sheriff Joe deserves credit for helping to reduce crime in Maricopa County over his long career." Ducey said in a statement that the pardon "has brought finality to this chapter in Arizona's history."

Trump at a rally in Phoenix on Tuesday strongly hinted at a pardon, telling the crowd: "I'll make a prediction. I think he's going to be just fine."

Arpaio endorsed Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. The former sheriff said Friday that he supported the president no matter what decision was made about a pardon. "I'm with him to the end," Arpaio said.</s>WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday pardoned former sheriff Joe Arpaio, the retired Arizona lawman who was convicted for intentionally disobeying a judge’s order in an immigration case.

The White House said the 85-year-old ex-sheriff of Arizona’s Maricopa County was a “worthy candidate” for a presidential pardon.

The action came several days after Trump, at a rally in downtown Phoenix, strongly hinted that he intended to issue a pardon.

“So was Sheriff Joe was convicted for doing his job?” Trump asked supporters. “I’ll make a prediction. I think he’s going to be just fine, OK.”

Arpaio, who became linked to Trump during the campaign for their hardline immigration views, was convicted of a misdemeanour for intentionally defying a judge’s order to stop his traffic patrols that targeted immigrants.

Both politicians questioned the authenticity of then-President Barack Obama’s birth certificate and have a similar history in sparring with judges.

In the statement Friday night, the White House said, “Throughout his time as Sheriff, Arpaio continued his life’s work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration. Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now eighty-five years old, and after more than fifty years of admirable service to our Nation, he is worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon.”
U.S. President Donald Trump pardons former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, Joe Arpaio.