GOP rep: Trump pardoned someone ‘who ignored Bill of Rights’

Multiple GOP lawmakers spoke out on Friday against President Trump’s decision to pardon controversial former Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), a frequent Trump critic, tweeted that Trump had pardoned a government official “who ignored [the] Bill of Rights.”

Arpaio was convicted of defying court order to stop violating #4thAmendment. It’s a pardon of a govt official who ignored Bill of Rights.

— Justin Amash (@justinamash) August 26, 2017

{mosads}

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who has recently sparked backlash from Trump, also criticized the decision involving the former Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff.

“I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course,” Flake wrote on Twitter.

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

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen‏ (R-Fla.) coupled the pardon in a tweet blasting Trump’s move Friday to officially ban transgender people from entering the military, declaring, “Ay Dios Mío.” 

Ban on transgender patriots eager to serve and defend our nation. Pardon for Sheriff who specialized in tormenting immigrants. Ay Dios mío.

— Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (@RosLehtinen) August 26, 2017

Arpaio had been found guilty in a Justice Department investigation of racially profiling Latinos and had been convicted of criminal contempt after failing to stop detaining people who he suspected were in the U.S. illegally.

Democrats and civil rights groups ripped Trump’s pardon on Friday, noting Arpaio’s past conviction and blasting his policing policies as racist.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tweeted that Trump’s pardon “makes mockery of rule of law” while Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) slammed the decision to issue the pardon as a major storm barreled toward Texas.

“As millions of people in TX and LA are prepping for the hurricane, the President is using the cover of the storm to pardon a man who violated a court’s order to stop discriminating against Latinos and ban courageous transgender men and women from serving our nation’s Armed Forces. Then he ran to Camp David,” Schumer tweeted.