Arizona congressman joins call for Trump to pardon Arpaio

PHOENIX — A second Arizona congressman said Monday that he would support a pardon of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio by President Donald Trump.

“Sheriff Arpaio has been a faithful servant of this nation for over six decades,” U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs said in a release. “He should be allowed to live out the rest of his days in peace and confidence that his efforts were not in vain.

“I encourage President Trump to pardon Sheriff Joe Arpaio.”

Biggs argued for the pardon in a letter he wrote to Trump. He wrote that the sheriff’s sentence was the culmination of a political witch hunt carried out by the administration of former President Barack Obama.

“Justice is supposed to be blind,” the letter read. “However, the manner in which Sheriff Arpaio was investigated, tried and convicted was anything but that.”

It was uncertain Monday if Trump planned to carry through with the possible pardon, but at least one other member of Arizona’s congressional delegation said he would support it.

“I so hope that the president will pardon Joe Arpaio,” U.S. Rep. Trent Franks said last week. “The prosecution there was politically motivated from the very beginning.”

However, it seemed Arizona would not support the idea of a presidential pardon being issued during Trump’s Phoenix rally on Tuesday. A poll released Monday showed that about half of Arizona were against the idea.

Related

Chef behind acclaimed LeDu Thai in downtown Phoenix opens supper club in uptownPinal County rezones 4,695 acres of state land for potential massive employment hubMayich attorney: ASU hockey coach replaced phone after workout, hasn’t ‘done anything right’Donald Trump plans Oct. 14 rally in Bullhead City as Arizona votes earlyVandals target border wall contractor Fisher Industries’ Tempe officeLochiel protest moves to tree in Mexico after border agents clear U.S. cottonwoods