Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio and President Donald Trump have a friendly history, and Arpaio in 2016 handled security for the then-candidate’s rallies after endorsing him earlier that year. | Alex Brandon/AP Photo Trump: I'm 'seriously considering' pardoning Joe Arpaio The recently convicted former sheriff won't say whether he's been contacted by the White House about a pardon.

President Donald Trump said Joe Arpaio, the recently convicted former sheriff of Maricopa County, could receive the first presidential pardon of his administration.

“I am seriously considering a pardon for Sheriff Arpaio,” Trump told Fox News on Sunday. “He has done a lot in the fight against illegal immigration. He’s a great American patriot, and I hate to see what has happened to him.”


Arpaio, who was found in contempt of court late July for continuing racial profiling practices, said last week that he would accept a pardon from Trump, though he did not know at the time whether the president knew about his legal tangle. The 85-year-old faces up to six months behind bars.

Reached on Monday, Arpaio declined to comment about whether he's been contacted by the White House over a possible pardon.

“I can’t answer that right now," Arpaio told POLITICO. "I don’t want to avoid it, but right now I can’t answer that.”

Arpaio, who lost a reelection bid in November, developed a national reputation for his hardline approach to criminal justice and illegal immigration.

Some of his tactics have run into resistance in federal courts, however. In a July 31 decision, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton found Arpaio showed a “flagrant disregard” for an order that required the sheriff to stop detaining people who weren't suspected of a crime.

The former sheriff said in an interview on Monday that he hasn't spoken with Trump directly, but reiterated that he would accept a pardon if it was offered.

"I never asked for it, but I’ll accept it," he said. "I’m not guilty, that’s for sure.”

Arpaio and Trump have a friendly history, and the former sheriff in 2016 handled security for the then-candidate’s rallies after endorsing him earlier that year. The two hold some similar views on how to handle immigration, and the former lawman occasionally spoke during the rallies.

“Is there anyone in local law enforcement who has done more to crack down on illegal immigration then Sheriff Joe?” Trump asked. “He has protected people from crimes and saved lives. He doesn’t deserve to be treated this way.”

Arpaio maintains his innocence and contends he is a victim of wrongheaded legal attacks.

“This is probably the worst miscarriage of the judicial system in history,” he told POLITICO.