WASHINGTON (AP) — In an unexpected development, President Donald Trump has issued pardons to several close allies, including his former personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and former chief of staff Mark Meadows, as reported by a Justice Department official. This action is part of Trump's ongoing efforts to contest the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election results.
The signed proclamation, shared by Ed Martin, the government’s pardon attorney, details a 'full, complete, and unconditional' pardon for Giuliani, Meadows, conservative lawyers Sidney Powell, and John Eastman, while explicitly stating that the pardons do not extend to Trump himself.
It's important to note that these pardons apply solely to federal crimes, however, none of the pardoned individuals was charged in federal court. This decision emphasizes Trump's persistent attempts to rewrite the narrative surrounding the 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
The White House has not commented on this matter as of yet. Among the pardoned are Republicans implicated in state cases for acting as false electors and submitting misleading certificates, despite Biden's confirmed victory in their respective states.
The proclamation condemned the prosecution of those involved in the 2020 election controversies as 'a grave national injustice perpetrated on the American people,' asserting that these pardons aim to promote 'the process of national reconciliation.'
The signed proclamation, shared by Ed Martin, the government’s pardon attorney, details a 'full, complete, and unconditional' pardon for Giuliani, Meadows, conservative lawyers Sidney Powell, and John Eastman, while explicitly stating that the pardons do not extend to Trump himself.
It's important to note that these pardons apply solely to federal crimes, however, none of the pardoned individuals was charged in federal court. This decision emphasizes Trump's persistent attempts to rewrite the narrative surrounding the 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
The White House has not commented on this matter as of yet. Among the pardoned are Republicans implicated in state cases for acting as false electors and submitting misleading certificates, despite Biden's confirmed victory in their respective states.
The proclamation condemned the prosecution of those involved in the 2020 election controversies as 'a grave national injustice perpetrated on the American people,' asserting that these pardons aim to promote 'the process of national reconciliation.'
