Joe Arpaio was an early supporter of Trump. Recent comments from the president seem to indicate that Trump hasn’t forgotten his loyalty.
On Sunday the President told Fox News he was “seriously considering a pardon for Sheriff Arpaio.” Trump praised the former sheriff and his tough stance on immigration.
Arpaio was recently convicted of criminal contempt for willfully disobeying a judge’s orders to stop his immigration enforcement.
The American Civil Liberties Union’s Cecillia Wang said the president’s actions won’t take away from the message sent by the judiciary. “Those federal court rulings stand and the community working together with civil rights lawyers successfully held Joe Arpaio to account," Wang said.
Arpaio is set to be sentenced in October. He faces up to six to months in jail.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The story has been updated to correct the name of the American Civil Liberties Union.
