Sheriff Joe Arpaio doubles down on 'birther' claims against Obama
Disgraced sheriff Joe Arpaio doubled down on claims that former President Barack Obama’s birth certificate is “phony” just one day after he announced his bid for Senate.
In a Wednesday night interview with Chris Cuomo on CNN, Arpaio said there was “no doubt” Obama’s birth certificate is fake, going on to add, “We have the evidence. I’m not going to go into all the details. It’s a phony document.”
Arpaio was pardoned by President Trump in August after he was convicted of criminal contempt for intentionally defying a judge’s order to stop traffic patrols that racially profiled Latinos.
On Tuesday, Arpaio announced his candidacy for the Senate seat currently held by Jeff Flake (R-Az), a vocal Trump critic who will not be seeking re-election.
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Cuomo addressed Arpaio’s controversial six-term tenure as Maricopa County sheriff, during which inmates were jailed in outdoor tents, forced to wear pink underwear, and given only two meals a day.
Cuomo, who asked whether the self-styled “America’s toughest sheriff” had any regrets, honed in on Arpaio’s role in delegitimizing Obama by claiming he was not born in the US.
Arpaio, who bristled when Cuomo asked whether the birtherism campaign was a mistake, said, “I started this because of a fake government document. I didn't care where the president came from...We had the evidence, nobody will talk about or a look at it. Anytime you want to come down, we'll be glad to show you the evidence.”
The sheriff also maintained his innocence, claiming he was convicted by a “very biased” judge. “Everybody in the courtroom knew I was not guilty….it was predetermined that I would be found guilty of contempt of court.”
Arpaio, who says he is running for Senate to support President Trump, will be facing off against Kelli Ward, another pro-Trump candidate, in the GOP primary.
Trump posted a favorable tweet about Ward after she visited his Mar-a-Lago, Florida, resort around Christmas, but he has not formally backed her.
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