BREAKING: Trump Pardons Arpaio

Joseph M. "Joe" Arpaio Joe Arpaio 'Tent City' at Maricopa County Jail, Maricopa County, Arizona, America - Feb 2015 *Full story: http://www.rexfeatures.com/nanolink/q4jw Tent City is regularly named as one of the wo... Joseph M. "Joe" Arpaio Joe Arpaio 'Tent City' at Maricopa County Jail, Maricopa County, Arizona, America - Feb 2015 *Full story: http://www.rexfeatures.com/nanolink/q4jw Tent City is regularly named as one of the worst prisons in America. The notorious convict camp is located in the Arizona desert where temperatures regularly top 130 degrees and more. As its name suggests inmates live outside in Army surplus tents that are unheated in the winter and uncooled in the summer. The only permanent buildings house showers and a canteen where meals are served. Tent City is the brainchild of Joe Arpaio, the six-time elected sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona. Arpaio styles himself as "America's Toughest Sheriff" and the controversial figure has been accused of a list of crimes, including abuse of power, misuse of funds and failure to investigate sex crimes. His jails have twice been ruled unconstitutional. He set up Tent City, which is an extension of the Maricopa County Jail, in 1993. He has since described Tent City, which can accommodate up to 2,126 inmates, as a 'concentration camp'. (Rex Features via AP Images) MORE LESS

August 25, 2017 8:08 p.m.

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President Trump pardons former Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

White House statement after the jump …

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 25, 2017

President Trump Pardons Sheriff Joe Arpaio

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.

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Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TPM.

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