What follows is an epic Tweet-Storm by the Phoenix New Times newspaper, which you should probably read in context, but if you don't have time, this ought to do the trick. - Jerky
We've been covering Joe Arpaio for more than 20 years. Here's a couple of things you should know about him...
He ran a jail that he described as a "concentration camp."
Prisoners there died at an alarming rate, often without explanation.
One of his jailers nearly broke the neck of a paraplegic guy who had the temerity to ask for a catheter.
One time, as a publicity stunt, he marched Latino prisoners into a segregated area with electric fencing.
Here's a couple of other examples of what went on in his jails:
"Arpaio's Jail Staff Cost Ambrett Spencer Her Baby, and She's Not the Only One"
"109 Degrees of Incarceration"
He ran an ongoing "mugshot of the day" contest on the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office website.
He arrested New Times reporters for covering him. We won a $3.75 million settlement for that one.
Under him, the MCSO failed to investigate hundreds of sex abuse cases, many of which involved children.
But he somehow found time and money to send a deputy to Hawaii to look for Barack Obama's birth certificate.
Oh, and one time he staged an assassination attempt against himself? That was weird.
In 2013, a federal judge confirmed what literally everyone in Phoenix knew: he'd been racially profiling Latinos.
So naturally, he hired a PI to investigate the judge and his wife.
He also kept on profiling people, which is why he got charged with contempt of court (and was found to be guilty AF)
He also tried to destroy some of the hard drives containing material that was supposed to be turned over the court.
By 2015, his fondness for racial profiling had cost the county more $44 million. On top of, you know, ruining lives.
He also paid millions to settle lawsuits like this one, where deputies stood by as an inmate was brutally beaten.
Because this is the Old West or something, he had a "Sheriff's Posse." One member got arrested on child porn charges.
His office was responsible for countless fiascos like this botched SWAT raid, where deputies set a puppy on fire.
So, yeah, that's who Trump just pardoned. You can read all our coverage of Arpaio over the years here.
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