MONT WITH THAT CATEGORY BEARING DOWN WITH THE PRESIDENT
AT CAMP DAVID, WE GET THIS. THIS IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES ISSUING B I BELIEVE HIS FIRST PARDON IN
OFFICE AND THE FIRST PARDON IN OFFICE USING HIS POWER TO PARDON
GOES TO NONE OTHER THAN SHERIFF JOE, THE EXTREMELY CONTROVERSIAL
FIGURE IN MARICOPA COUNTY IN ARIZONA WHO WAS CONVICTED FOR
REFUSING TO STOP DETAINING LATINOS FOR VIOLATION OF THEIR
CIVIL RIGHTS. THE PRESIDENT TONIGHT GRANTING A
PRESIDENTIAL PARDON. THE FORMER SHERIFF, TALKING
ABOUT HIS SELF-LESS PUBLIC SERVICE AFTER SERVING IN THE TH
ARMY, HIS BIO, CLEARING HIM OF THAT CHARGE.
WE KNOW THAT WAS SOMETHING HE ESSENTIALLY PROMISED THE OTHER
NIGHT WHEN IN PHOENIX AND INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY
CONTROVERSIAL DECISION THAT WILL BE FACED WITH TREMENDOUS
BACKLASH. HE JUST LOST RE-ELECTION BY TEN
POINTS IN AN AREA DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT WAS QUITE
REPUBLICAN. BECAUSE OF U THE FACT LARGELY HE
WAS PERCEIVED AS BEING A LAWLESS DOGGED PURSUER OF BIGOTED
POLICIES DIRECTED AGAINST LATINOS, A COURT FINDING HIM
CRIMINALLY IN CONTEMPT AND HIM BEING CONVICTED, WHICH IS QUITE
RARE TO GET TO, AND AFTER THAT, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES USING HIS FIRST PARDON TO COME IN AND SAY THIS MAN WHO A
COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOUND TO BE IN LAW ULESS VIOLATION OF
THE LAW OF THIS COUNTRY, TO BE, TO BE PARDONED.
JILL, THIS IS -- YOU KNOW, THE PARDON POWER SORT OF ALWAYS
LURKED OVER NIXON. AND WHEN IT'S APPLIED IN THIS
WAY, I THINK LAWYERS HAVE SOME PRETTY STRONG FEELINGS.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT? >> I AM APPALLED AND SHOCKED.
THIS IS SO MUCH WORSE THAN ANYTHING I COULD HAVE POSSIBLY
ENVISIONED. POINT OUT THAT PRESIDENT NIXON
DID NOT USE HIS PARDON POWER AND THAT PRESIDENT FORD DID PARDON
NIXON AND LOST THE ELECTION WHEN HE RAN FOR RE-ELECTION LARGELY
BECAUSE HE USED THAT POWER, SO DESPITE ALL WARNINGS TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP THAT THERE MIGHT BE POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES FROM
THIS, I WOULD CONSIDER A LAWLESS ACT, HIS PARDONING SOMEONE WHO
VIOLATED CIVIL RIGHTS AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY.
THIS IS EVERY TIME I THINK THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP CANNOT GO ANY
LOWER OR DO ANYTHING WORSE, HE SURPRISES ME AND DOES.
>> I BELIEVE WE HAVE OUR OWN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT, PETE
WILLIAMS ON THE PHONE RIGHT NOW TO GIVE US MORE INFORMATION.
ABOUT THIS. WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT WHEN THIS
HAPPENED AND WHY? >> WELL, THE WHITE HOUSE HASN'T
SAID YET WHAT THE THINKING WAS BEHIND IT, BUT THE PRESIDENT
HIMSELF LAID IT OUT PRETTY CLEARLY, CHRIS.
OF COURSE, THE PRESIDENT AS POINTED OUT, THE PRESIDENT HAS
THE TOTAL CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY TO PARDON ANYBODY HE
LIKES. PRESIDENT CAN PARDON PEOPLE AT
ANY POINT. AFTER THEY'VE BEEN CHARGED WITH
A CRIME. WHILE THE TRIAL'S GOING ON,
AFTER THEY'VE BEEN CONVICTED. THE NORMAL PATTERN THOUGH IS FOR
PRESIDENTS TO PARDON PEOPLE AFTER THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
MAKES A RECOMMENDATION TO A PRESIDENT TYPICALLY THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT WON'T RECOMMEND ANYONE FOR A PARDON UNLESS
THEY'VE SERVED AT LEAST FIVE YEARS OF A SENTENCE AND HAVE
PERHAPS MORE SIGNIFICANTLY, EXPRESSED SOME REMORSE AND OF
COURSE, THERE'S NONE OF THAT HERE.
HE HAS INSISTED HE NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG.
HE WAS CONVICTED OF CRIMINAL CONTEMPT AFTER HE WAS FOUND IN
CIVIL CONTEMPT FOR DISOBEYING COURT ORDERS TO HAVE HIS
DEPUTIES STOP THE PRACTICE OF STOPPING PEOPLE ON THE STREET IF
THEY SUSPECTED THEY MIGHT BE HERE ILLEGALLY AND THEY HAVE
NOTHING MORE THAN TO GO ON THAN THAT.
SO NO SHOW OF REMORSE. HIS LAWYERS SAID THEY WOULD
APPEAL THE CRIMINAL CONTEMPT CONVICTION AND THAT PROCESS IS
STILL GOING ON. BUT UNDOUBTLY, THE PRESIDENT HAD
COMPLETE AUTHORITY TO DO THIS, SO THIS FALLS IN THE CATEGORY OF
WHAT YOU'VE JUST BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
A POLITICAL PARDONS. RATHER THAN THE NORMAL PATTERN
OF FOLLOWING THE ADVICE OF THE OFFICE OF PARDON, ATTORNEY AT
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. NOTHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS.
IT'S THE PRESIDENT'S COMPLETE AUTHORITY TO DO IT.