Fresno County GOP leader: Arpaio’s unfairly branded a racist

Recently there have been letters to the editor maligning former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio by calling him a racist. Nothing can be further from the truth. Besides having grandchildren of Hispanic descent, Arpaio had the highest percentage of Hispanic deputies and staff of any sheriff’s department in Arizona.

Also, he promoted more Hispanic officers to command positions than any other state law enforcement agency. Arpaio is a an Army veteran and a man who has served in various law enforcement agencies spanning a 50-year career.

While some of Sheriff Joe’s no-nonsense ways of dealing with lawbreakers offended some, he was within the law and was re-elected several times because of his dedication to protecting the citizens of Maricopa County.

Typically, the Department of Justice refrains from taking legal action against an elected official so close to an election.

However, two weeks before his election, the Department of Justice under Eric Holder, charged him with a misdemeanor. Accusing him of racial profiling for enforcing immigration law is a standard left-wing tactic. The judge denied his Constitutional right to a jury trial, which would have explained the truth.

Balance is necessary and judging someone before finding the facts is counterproductive.

This story was originally published September 23, 2017 at 3:10 PM with the headline "Fresno County GOP leader: Arpaio’s unfairly branded a racist."