The Arpaio Pardon

Written August 25, 2017, in Facebook

The so called President has pardoned convicted Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio is the sheriff who targeted and racially profiled Hispanics in Arizona for over a year after being told by courts to stop violating their rights. He was convicted of contempt. 

One of the talking points of the supporters of the so-called President will be that it was a political prosecution because it was announced just before the vote for the sheriff's position - which Arpaio then lost. However this excuse does not explain his actual conviction - he was indeed guilty.

The key reason for Arpaio's pardon is Arpaio's support for the so-called President. Arpaio endorsed the so-called President for the nomination and was a fellow birther; "Trump is likely a fan of Arpaio’s because Arapio is a fan of his—an early supporter who also went all in for birtherism, at one point sending members of a so-called Cold Case Posse to Hawaii to dig up something incriminating about Barack Obama’s birth certificate..." from the New Yorker.

That's the answer; they both promoted racist theories and policies - it's that simple.

https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/why-does-donald-trump-like-sheriff-joe

Pardon me!

It is being reported that the so-called President is considering pardoning his aides, relatives and even himself.

Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution: "The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment."

Please note that Pardons are to be granted for "Offences against the United States." This would seem to imply that only the guilty could be pardoned - not the innocent or those not convicted of a crime. You cannot pardon someone in advance for no particular offense or reason. They would have had to do something that the pardoner and pardoned would be acknowledging was wrong and illegal.

Thus a pardon would seem to be an admission of guilt if it is accepted BEFORE someone is even charged with a crime which then should be justification for impeachment if they are an elected official, such as the so-called President pardoning himself.

Also, anyone who has been pardoned cannot then use the 5th Amendment to refuse to answer questions oath that would incriminate themselves because they have no legal jeopardy at that point. Their only jeopardy would then be perjury. If they are then pardoned for perjury, that should also be justification to impeach the pardoner and the perjurer.

In other words, a pardon is not a perfect solution for the so-called President UNLESS the Republican majority in Congress has not shred of integrity. Unfortunately, that may be possible.