Trump asked Sessions about dropping Arpaio case
WASHINGTON (AFP) — Donald Trump asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions about dropping a criminal case against controversial ex-sheriff Joe Arpaio, a close ally of the Republican president who has since received a pardon, The Washington Post reported Saturday.
Trump was advised that closing the criminal contempt case against Arpaio, who was convicted for ignoring a court order to stop detaining illegal migrants, would be inappropriate, said the Post, citing three unnamed sources with knowledge of the conversation.
The president decided to let the case go ahead, but said he would pardon Arpaio if necessary — one source said Trump was “gung-ho” about the idea, the Post said.
Trump has received pushback on the pardon by members of his own party — most recently 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 Saturday.
“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.”
Both Republican senators from Arizona, John McCain and Jeff Flake, earlier criticized the presidential pardon.