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Pardon for Arpaio would be rare but not unprecedented

Related Topics: Joe Arpaio, Donald Trump

If former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio is pardoned in coming days — as President Donald Trump strongly suggested Tuesday night — the move will be the latest in a long line of hotly-debated political pardons that critics say violate the spirit but not the laws of executive authority.

The U.S. Constitution gives presidents sweeping power to grant pardons to convicts, or to people who have not even been charged with a federal crime.

For most applicants, seeking a pardon is a long, arduous process that begins with the pardon attorney at Justice Department headquarters — an overloaded, understaffed office that currently does not have an appointed leader.