Georgia Democrats slam Trump's pardon of 'sadist' Arpaio

Both Georgia Democratic candidates for governor found common ground Friday over President Donald Trump's decision to pardon Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of criminal contempt for his aggressive efforts to track down undocumented immigrants.

State Rep. Stacey Evans wrote that Arpaio "profiled and persecuted" and "showed contempt for our values." And former state Rep. Stacey Abrams called Arpaio a "sadist" who was "rewarded by a presidential pardon."

Sally Yates, who gained national fame when she stepped down as acting U.S. Attorney rather than enforce a Trump immigration order, also had harsh words for the president.

The Georgia attorney, a likely candidate for higher office down the road, wrote that he revealed "his own contempt for our Constitution, our courts, and our founding principles of equality and justice."

Arpaio, the 85-year-old former sheriff of Maricopa County, was convicted in July of

disobeying a court order to stop detaining suspected undocumented immigrants.

The conviction stemmed from a lawsuit that claimed the sheriff's office routinely racially profiled Latinos and detained some because they were suspected of being in the country illegally rather than committing other crimes.