WASHINGTON – PresidentDonald Trumppardoned a former Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery in what prosecutors called a "cash-for-badges scheme,"preventing him from startinghis 10-year prison sentence on May 27. Former Culpepper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins was convicted in December for acceptingat least $75,000 in bribesin exchange for appointing Northern Virginia business executives as auxiliary deputies. Then-acting U.S. Zachary Lee said when Jenkins was sentenced in March "he engaged in a cash-for-badges scheme." Jenkins appealed for assistance directly to Trump during a webinar in April hosted by the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, according to theNBC News affiliatein Washington, D.C. "I believe wholeheartedly in the president," Jenkins said. Trump said on social media May 26that Jenkins was the victim of an "overzealous Biden Justice Department" and a judge appointed by former PresidentJoe Biden, U.S. District Judge Robert Ballou. "Sheriff Scott Jenkins, his wife Patricia, and their family have been dragged through HELL by a Corrupt and Weaponized Biden DOJ," Trump wrote. "He is a wonderful person, who was persecuted by the Radical Left 'monsters,' and 'left for dead.'" This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trump pardons former Va. sheriff convicted of bribery
