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Former sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona is facing a new lawsuit scheduled to go to trial next month.

Earlier this year, he was convicted of criminal contempt for ignoring a court ruling for his office to stop racial profiling practices.  In August, President Donald Trump pardoned him.

On Friday, the Associated Press reported that the son of Sen. Jeff Flake filed a malicious-prosecution case against Arpaio.

In the complaint, Austin Flake alleged that Arpaio pressed felony animal cruelty charges against him and his wife in an effort to get publicity and damage his father’s political career.  Sen. Flake is among the vocal critics of Pres. Trump.

In June 2014, Austin Flake and his wife faced charges in connection with deaths of 21 dogs due to heat-exhaustion. His in-laws owned and operated the kennel. At the time, they were watching the dogs because the in-laws went out of town.

The court dismissed the case against the Flakes at the request of the prosecutors. The owners of the kennel pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges. An expert found they failed to properly maintain the air conditioner in the room where the dogs were staying.             

Arpaio allegedly resolute to link the Flakes to animal cruelty

In the lawsuit, the senator’s son alleged that Arpaio was determined to link them to the animal cruelty charges. He claimed that Arpaio’s investigators went too far by conducting surveillance on his father’s home.

In his deposition in July 2016, Arpaio said, “I am going by what my detectives accomplished during their investigation. They had the nuts and bolts already. I defend my people. I have confidence in them."

However, the former Maricopa County sheriff did not accept responsibility for filing the charges against the Flakes. His office failed to present any evidence to support the charges against the Flakes.

According to the lawyer representing Flakes, the case devastated them. Their names were mentioned across the internet as the murderers of 21 dogs. Attorney Stephen Montoya said,  “It really ravaged them emotionally.”

In August, U.S. District Judge Neil Wake ruled that Arpaio’s investigators have no probable cause to charge the Flakes. He dismissed a defamation lawsuit against them. The judge said “prosecutors initially charged the Flakes based on pressure from Arpaio.”