Vice President Mike Pence called former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of contempt of court last year, a champion of “the rule of law” and said he was honored by his attendance at an event with him Tuesday in Arizona.
President Donald Trump pardoned Arpaio last year after his conviction on a misdemeanor contempt of court charge for ignoring a federal judge’s order to stop detaining people because he merely suspected them of being undocumented immigrants. Arpaio is now a primary candidate for the Republican nomination to succeed the retiring Sen.