Donald Trump's decision to grant a Presidential pardon to America's most controversial sheriff has sparked a storm of criticism. Source: NBC News
Donald Trump's decision to grant a Presidential pardon to America's most controversial sheriff has sparked a storm of criticism.
The President of the United States pardoned 85-year-old ex-sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona's Maricopa County with the White House calling him a "worthy candidate".
However the move, which came as Texas was being smashed by its worst hurricane in 13 years, sparked criticism from civil rights groups and from fellow politicians within his own party, news.com.au reports.
Donald Trump had previously called Joe Arpaio, left, a great "American patriot who has done a lot in the fight against illegal immigration." Photo / AP
Trump's controversial move comes days after the president hinted he wanted to pardon the man he called a patriot.
In an interview with Fox News Sunday earlier this month, Trump called Arpaio a great "American patriot who has done a lot in the fight against illegal immigration."
He hinted he was considering a pardon for Arpaio, who was convicted of criminal contempt of court for defying a court order in a case involving racial profiling.
Last week the President again signalled his willingness to pardon him but told a downtown rally of supporters in Phoenix, Arizona, he wasn't going to do it then.
Chain-gang Joe
Arpaio made headlines for making prisoners wear pink underwear as a way of shaming them and also for reinstating chain gangs in the 1990s.
The former Maricopa County sheriff also cut down prison meals to two a day and even banned the use of salt and pepper as a way of saving money, CNN reported.
In 1993, Arpaio introduced the controversial Tent City jail complex idea as a way of stopping overcrowding in jails.
Arpaio locked up journalists and made criminal cases against political adversaries who tangled with him, investigated judges and misspent US$100 million in jail funds.
Joe Arpaio locked up journalists and made criminal cases against political adversaries who tangled with him. Photo / AP
He let investigations into child rape cases languish because officers were pulled away, in part, to help in Arpaio's immigrant efforts.
Arpaio was found to have violated the civil rights of Latinos in a racial-profiling case expected to cost taxpayers US$92 million.
A judge nominated to the bench by former President George W Bush ordered Arpaio to stop his immigration patrols in 2011 amid allegations that his officers were racially profiling Latinos.
The judge later found Arpaio's office systematically profiled Latinos and recommended a criminal charge against the sheriff for prolonging the patrols 17 months after he had ordered them stopped.
In this February 2009 photo, Joe Arpaio orders approximately 200 convicted illegal immigrants handcuffed together and moved into a separate area of Tent City. Photo / AP
'Grave abuse of power'
A president has the power to pardon anyone for any federal crime in the United States.
However in a stinging editorial, New York Magazine called the President's decision his "gravest abuse of power yet" and said "the wheels of justice ground to a halt simply because the nation's chief executive said so."
The New York Times said the decision put Trump in "uncharted waters and the move could signal others who committed the same offences could not be punished.
The New Yorker said the pardon "dangerously accelerates Trump's assault on the rule of law", while Slate called the pardon an "impeachable offence" and argued the President missed his power to pardon.
The Phoenix New Times was brutally as critical, listing dozens of stories covering the offences and stunts he has committed.
This included marching Latino prisoners into a segregated area with electric fencing and running a mugshot of the day competition on the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office website.
Donald Trump's decision to pardon Joe Arpaio also raised eyebrows within his own party. Photo / AP
'Rule of law'
Trump's decision also raised eyebrows within his own party - including from the highest ranking Republican in Congress, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.
"The speaker does not agree with this decision," Ryan spokesman Doug Andres said in a statement late at the weekend.
"Law enforcement officials have a special responsibility to respect the rights of everyone in the United States," Andres said.
"We should not allow anyone to believe that responsibility is diminished by this pardon."
Republican Senator John McCain slammed the move and said "no one is above the law".
In a statement McCain said "sworn law officers should always seek to be beyond reproach in their commitment to fairly enforcing the laws they swore to uphold."
He said pardoning Arpaio undermined the President's claim for the respect of rule of law.
Critics also argued his conviction was a hard-won measure of accountability against Arpaio who survived scandals that would have ruined careers of other politicians.
This April 2008 shows Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio next to some of his memorabilia in his office. Photo / AP
Cas Mudde, a University of Georgia professor who studies political extremism and populism in Europe told the Washington Post, the timing of the pardon was surprising.
"First of all, it is very early in the presidency and, second, it is before Arpaio has been sentenced," he said.
"I think the latter is a clear reflection of President Trump's complete disregard for the rule of law."
Meanwhile it emerged Trump asked Attorney-General Jeff Sessions about dropping the criminal case against his controversial ally, The Washington Post reported.
Trump was advised that closing the criminal contempt case against Arpaio, would be inappropriate, but decided to let the case go ahead.
