Trump asked AG about dropping Arpaio case

Donald Trump asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions about dropping a criminal case against controversial ex-sheriff Joe Arpaio, a close ally of the Republican president who has since received a pardon, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

Trump was advised that closing the criminal contempt case against Arpaio, who was convicted for ignoring a court order to stop detaining illegal migrants, would be inappropriate, said the Post, citing three unnamed sources with knowledge of the conversation.

The president decided to let the case go ahead, but said he would pardon Arpaio if necessary -- one source said Trump was "gung-ho" about the idea, the Post said.

Trump has received pushback on the pardon by members of his own party -- most recently from the highest ranking Republican in Congress, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. Both GOP senators from Arizona also opposed the move.

Trump's reported chat with Sessions over Arpaio stands as evidence of the inability -- or unwillingness -- of the 71-year-old billionaire US leader to maintain the traditional distance between the White House and the Justice Department on specific cases.