Former 'Trump--pardoned' Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio says he'll run for United States Senate

Story by Reuters

Joe Arpaio, a former Arizona sheriff and a close ally of President Donald Trump, said on Tuesday he would run for the U.S. Senate to replace retiring Republican Senator Jeff Flake.

"I am running for the U.S. Senate from the Great State of Arizona, for one unwavering reason: to support the agenda and policies of President Donald Trump in his mission to Make America Great Again," Arpaio said on Twitter.

Arpaio was convicted last July of criminal contempt in a racial profiling case that highlighted tensions over U.S. immigration policy, but was pardoned by Trump the following month.

A federal judge had ruled that Arpaio wilfully violated a 2011 injunction barring his officers from detaining Latino drivers solely on the suspicion that they were in the county illegally.

Arpaio, who dubbed himself "the toughest sheriff in America," lost a bid for re-election in Arizona's Maricopa County in 2016 after 24 years in office.

His tenure, including his tough stance on illegal immigration, drew notice from outside the county. He also reinstated chain gangs, made inmates wear uniforms that were pink or old-fashioned black and white stripes and forbade them coffee, salt and pepper.
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Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/25/politics/sheriff-joe-arpaio-donald-trump-pardon/index.html