President Donald Trump has pardoned former Sheriff Joe Arpaio from his criminal contempt conviction, removing the only legal consequences the lawman faced stemming from a racial-profiling suit.
WASHINGTON — Almost everything about President Trump's pardon of former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio was unusual.
Trump chose a politically polarizing anti-immigration sheriff as the recipient of his first pardon — the kind of controversial grant of clemency recent presidents have reserved for the 11th hour rather than their first act.
Arpaio didn't meet the Justice Department guidelines for a pardon. His conviction wasn't five years old, he hadn't expressed remorse and he hadn't even applied to the Office of Pardon Attorney.
The day before, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president would follow a "thorough and standard process" in considering the pardon. That process usually requires seven layers of review and an FBI background check.
HOFFA REFUSES TO HOLD EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETINGS
Teamster members elected a full General Executive Board last November. Now Hoffa refuses to hold regular meetings claiming that “past practice” dictates that he’s not required to hold GEB meetings. This is in direct violation of the Teamster Constitution, which specifically requires that the Board meet once in every quarter.
When International Vice President John Palmer raised the issue and the direct violation of the Constitution, Hoffa said it was “past practice” not to hold meetings. Say what?
This is a blatant violation of the Teamster Constitution and of union democracy.
Without meetings of the elected General Executive Board, Hoffa and his appointees are left alone to:
- make organizing plans
- decide how to handle on-going corruption investigations
- make political endorsements and priorities
Without GEB meetings, the union policies and financial priorities set by Hoffa get no input or review by the elected leaders of our union.
The GEB met on August 9, but only for four hours including lunch. The only topic on the agenda was the pension crisis. That’s a critically important issue, but Hoffa put forward no motion and no policy was adopted. Another meeting is needed soon on this vital topic.
The meeting dealt with zero other business of the union. Hoffa has said the GEB will not meet again until December. That is unacceptable.
The members in the Central and Southern Regions elected six Teamsters United vice presidents. Although they are clearly a minority on the GEB, Hoffa is still afraid to hold meetings with them.
As a result, our elected International Union Vice Presidents are being put on the shelf.
The IBT Constitution at Article IX, Section 5, states “The General Executive Board shall hold quarterly meetings at such specific time and place as shall be determined by the General President.”
Hoffa and his appointees have no right to override the clear language of our Constitution and sideline the highest body of the union.
This may serve Hoffa’s political purposes, but it does not serve the will of the members.
More: White House: Trump will follow standard process for Arpaio pardon
No matter. The constitutional authority to "grant pardons and reprieves for offenses against the United States" is arguably the most absolute powers a president has.
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