Posted on 08/22/2017 10:13:29 AM PDT by Kaslin
President Trump is headed to Arizona Tuesday where he will tour the Yuma sector of the southern border with Mexico and hold a campaign style rally in Phoenix.
During a recent interview with Fox News, Trump said he was seriously considering a presidential pardon for former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio was recently found in contempt by a federal judge for failing to to follow orders requiring he halt targeted traffic stops against illegal immigrants. It is speculated Trump may announce the pardon during the rally Tuesday night.
“I am seriously considering a pardon for Sheriff Arpaio,” the president said Sunday, during a conversation with Fox News at his club in Bedminster, N.J. “He has done a lot in the fight against illegal immigration. He’s a great American patriot and I hate to see what has happened to him.”
Trump said the pardon could happen in the next few days, should he decide to do so.
Arpaio, 85, was convicted by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton of misdemeanor contempt of court for willfully disregarding an Arizona judge’s order in 2011 to stop the anti-immigrant traffic patrols. Arpaio had maintained the law enforcement patrols for 17 months thereafter.
While the potential move has been criticized by Washington D.C. elites and the media, Arizona Congressman Trent Franks is urging the President to follow through.
“Sheriff Arpaio has been a long-respected member of the law enforcement community who has dedicated his life to keeping Arizona communities safe. He has no prior convictions, no criminal record, no record of wrongs. In his twilight years, he deserves to retire peacefully and enjoy the satisfaction of a hard-earned and honorable retirement," Franks said in a statement. “Let us have an honest moment – this has been a political prosecution from the beginning. The real reason Arpaio is in legal trouble right now is because a Clinton-appointed judge decided to issue a judgment that contradicted every single witness that testified in the case.
“Pardoning Sheriff Arpaio would be celebrated by Arizonans that appreciate and respect a man who has accomplished so much for law and order in our state. It would absolutely be the right thing for President Trump to pardon Sheriff Joe,” he continued.
Franks also laid out his argument in an op-ed for USA Today, saying Arpaio has "dedicated his whole life to keeping his fellow human beings safe" and has "protected Arizona communities."
Arpaio faces up to six months in prison and will be sentenced in October, unless of course Trump bails him out.
Arpaio regularly campaigned for Trump during the 2016 presidential election and lead the search for President Obama's birth certificate.
Let’s see what happens I hope he does pardon him.
Hooray for Franks!
More liberal heads explode.
I simply do not have enough popcorn.
Gets my vote...
Arpaio has gotten a raw deal. He was doing a very good job of responding to the lawless invaders in his county.
What disturbs me most, is that when he left office the courts started to trash him for doing his job.
Across this nation, there needs to be a clean sweep of judges like this.
Word on the web is Sheriff Joe Arpaio WILL GET PARDONED.
President Trump has green light it!
Hopefully, President Trump will announce it during his speech.
The AZ Governor is a coward. The POTUS from your party holds a rally in your state and you aren’t going to be there.
Then Name him SR UC Sheriff!!!
So hope you are right! All the Sheriff has done is to uphold the law.
Please President Trump, don’t let us down!
President Trump may as well ignore popular opinion, including his daughter's, and do the right things.
BTW, build the wall!
It would be the appropriate thing to do. It’s a shame something equally appropriate couldn’t be arranged for Clinton appointed “judge” Bolton.
Agree 10000%.
Yes, he should. Then the judge in the case should be impeached.
JoMa
President Trump would do well for both himself and Arpaio and Arizona to pardon this Sheriff.
“The AZ Governor is a coward.”
From what I read the governor and other Republicans are going to meet President Trump at the airport. No need to add to the security situation at the rally.
If Obama can pardon a traitor like Manning, surely Trump has the balls to pardon Sheriff Joe on a lousy misdemeanor.
Just tell the commiecrats that his name is really Marc Rich and that he’s back for another go-around
Good news for Arpaio. Now when is Trump going to address all of our military men who are being persecuted for their legitimate actions in service to this country?
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