Arizona lawmakers react to Trump pardoning former Sheriff Joe Arpaio

PHOENIX — President Donald Trump pardoned former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Friday, a move that drew both praise and criticism from Arizona lawmakers.

The announcement made Arpaio a free man after he was found guilty in July of criminal contempt of court for ignoring court orders and prolonging his controversial immigration sweeps for 17 months after being directed to stop them.

The yearslong court battle will have cost Arizona taxpayers $92 million by next summer.

In a tweet, Trump confirmed the move, calling Arpaio an “American patriot.”

I am pleased to inform you that I have just granted a full Pardon to 85 year old American patriot Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He kept Arizona safe!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2017

Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone, who replaced Arpaio after defeating him in the November election, said in a press release that “the people had the final say.”

“The court made its decision, the president made his, but the people had the final say in November,” the release read. “We are dedicated to earning trust and confidence from the community while ensuring the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office delivers exceptional law enforcement services.”

Sen. John McCain, who has been publicly attacked by Trump after his “no” vote on an Obamacare repeal bill killed the legislation, said the president’s actions “undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions.”

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said Arpaio “deserves credit for helping to reduce crime in Maricopa County over his long career in law enforcement and public office.”

“With this action, he has brought finality to this chapter in Arizona’s history. Sheriff Joe is my friend, and now he, Ava and their family can move on and enjoy their retirement together,” Ducey said in a statement.

Several lawmakers, including Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and Reps. Ruben Gallego and Raul Grijalva, condemned the move, calling it a “total misuse of the pardon system.”

In a press release, Stanton said the pardon is a “slap in the face to the people of Maricopa County, especially the Latino community and those he victimized as he systematically and illegally violated their civil rights.”

“There’s nothing the president can do to change that awful legacy and the stain he has left on our community,” the release read. “This is not a proud day for Phoenix, but I’m proud that our city is moving on and moving forward from the divisiveness that defined the Arpaio era. Donald Trump can ignore the rule of law, but it was our voters who removed Joe Arpaio from power.”

Gallego called the pardon a “misuse” of the system that will set the bar for pardons very low.

“Pardons are supposed to be used for people who have already served their time or have been mistreated by the justice system,” Gallego told KTAR News. “Sheriff Joe Arpaio is not. If anything, he has been the one who has abused justice and the fact that we are going to interfere in this process is ridiculous.”

.@realDonaldTrump is a coward. He waited till a Friday evening as a hurricane distracts America to pardon his racist friend.

— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) August 26, 2017

Grijalva tweeted Friday that the pardon isn’t “just a pardon of Arpaio himself. It is a pardon of racism and bigotry.”

Joe Arpaio does not deserve a pardon. His whole life he has acted with the liberty of being above the law. Now Trump proves that right.

— Raul M. Grijalva (@RepRaulGrijalva) August 26, 2017

This isn't just a pardon of Arpaio himself. It is a pardon of racism and bigotry. https://t.co/VVQpUyQbuc

— Raul M. Grijalva (@RepRaulGrijalva) August 26, 2017

Rep. Kyrsten Sinema said she was “dismayed by the president’s decision to pardon Joe Arpaio. Arpaio hurt Arizonans and cost taxpayers a great amount of grief and money.”

He should be held accountable. No one is above the law. 2/2

— Kyrsten Sinema (@RepSinema) August 26, 2017

Rep. Tom O’Halleran said Arpaio should not be “given a free pass by the president.”

Joe Arpaio betrayed that trust and violated our laws. He should be held accountable, not given a free pass by the President. #AZ01 https://t.co/BKrJSuDSXn

— Rep. Tom O'Halleran (@RepOHalleran) August 26, 2017

Former Arizona Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick said the “president undermined the rule of law” with the Arpaio pardon.

As a former prosecutor, I can tell you the President undermined the rule of law in America tonight. https://t.co/ZmjpQ4DdEs

— Ann Kirkpatrick (@Ann_Kirkpatrick) August 26, 2017

Sen. Jeff Flake, who has a long history of publicly feuding with the president, released a statement on Friday, saying he would have “preferred that the president honor the judicial process and let it take its course.”

Regarding the Arpaio pardon, I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course.

— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) August 26, 2017

But other lawmakers, including Kelli Ward, who is running against Flake for Senate, praised the move to pardon Arpaio.

Thank you, @realDonaldTrump so glad you #pardoned @RealSheriffJoe – a patriot who did the job the Feds refused to do #StopIllegalImmigration pic.twitter.com/RlNm0Hr3b9

— Dr. Kelli Ward (@kelliwardaz) August 26, 2017

Rep. Trent Franks said Trump did the right thing.

The president did the right thing — Joe Arpaio lived an honorable life serving our country, and he deserves an honorable retirement.

— Rep. Trent Franks (@RepTrentFranks) August 26, 2017

Rep. Andy Biggs also praised the move, saying he “applauded” the president for doing so and that America owes Arpaio a “debt of gratitude and not the injustice of a political witch hunt.”

“The president brought justice to a situation where the Obama administration had attempted to destroy a political opponent,” part of the press release read. “I am very happy for Sheriff Joe Arpaio and hope that he will be able to live out his days in peace and comfort, knowing that his president and country are grateful for his service to this nation.”

Rep. Paul Gosar also tweeted about the move shortly after it was announced, saying “the Rule of Law still stands.”

Just received word that Sheriff Joe Arpaio won a pardon from @POTUS. The Rule of Law still stands.

— Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@RepGosar) August 26, 2017

Arizona activists condemn pardon of a ‘terrorist’

Some activists also weighed in on the decision. Living United for Change in Arizona, otherwise known as LUCHA, condemned the move, calling Arpaio a “terrorist” who “intentionally terrorized immigrant communities across Arizona for decades and traumatized an entire generation of Arizonans.”

“It is clear Trump will stop at nothing to advance an agenda of white supremacy, one that shows no regard for the rule of law. Tonight’s pardon was intended to empower Arpaio and racists like him all over the country,” Co-Executive Director Alejandra Gomez said in a statement.

During a news conference on Friday, Carlos Garcia, a spokesman for Puente Arizona, said local activists will “use this anger to take out Donald Trump in the same way we took out Sheriff Joe Arpaio.”

“It is now our responsibility to tell country what is coming to them. The suffering, broken families — [Arpaio] will be condemned and the white supremacy will not be pardoned,” Garcia said. “We will not forget. We will use this anger to take out Trump in the same way we took out Arpaio.”

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