White House readies paperwork for Joe Arpaio pardon: report

by Rebecca Savransky - 08/23/17 12:26 PM ET

The paperwork has reportedly been prepared for President Trump to pardon controversial former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

The White House has prepared the paperwork for when Trump makes the decision and has also put together talking points for surrogates, CNN reported.

{mosads}The talking points include emphasizing that Arpaio should not be put in prison for “enforcing the law” and “working to keep people safe.”

During his Phoenix rally Tuesday, President Trump refrained from pardoning Arpaio, but signaled he would do so.

“I won’t do it tonight because I don’t want to cause any controversy, all right,” Trump said. “But Sheriff Joe can feel good.”

In a recent Fox News interview, Trump said he was “seriously considering” a pardon for Arpaio, who was convicted of criminal contempt of court after defying a 2011 court order to stop apprehending suspected undocumented immigrants. The court ruled Arpaio’s methods amounted to racial profiling.

A CNN report earlier this week said the Trump White House has not spoken with the Justice Department office that deals with clemency petitions regarding the pardon of Arpaio.

Trump is not required to go through the Justice Department, and he could end up not involving the department in his decision, CNN reported.

Arpaio is scheduled for sentencing in October and could face up to six months in jail.

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