Oriental Network Longitudinal News Reporter Shea River
According to the Associated Press reported on the 22nd, Trump pardoned 15 people on Tuesday and commuted the sentences of 5 others, including two Republican representatives who supported him in the early days, a former campaign adviser who was involved in the "Russia" investigation, and four former government contractor employees who killed dozens of Iraqi civilians in the 2007 Baghdad "massacre".
(Photo/AP)
Four employees of Blackwater Private Guard, a former government contractor, were sentenced to lengthy prison sentences for shooting at crowds of people while clearing the way for a U.S. convoy in Baghdadani Plaza, Iraq, in 2007.
Former employee Slyton was sentenced to life in prison for shooting and killing 17 Iraqi civilians, while three former employees, Slough, Libert and Hurd, were each sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The massacre sparked international condemnation and called into question the U.S. government's use of "mercenaries" in war. Supporters of the four criminals lobbied everywhere that they had concealed evidence of exonerating and had been punished excessively severely.
Those pardoned also included former Republican representatives, former California Rep. Duncan and former New York State Rep. Collins. Duncan was jailed for 11 months after he admitted to embezzling campaign funds and spending the money on many events, including traveling with friends and his daughter's birthday party.
(Pictured: Former California Rep. Duncan Hunter.) Figure/AP)
Collins, one of the first members of Congress to publicly endorse Trump in the 2016 election, was sentenced to 2 years and 2 months in prison for helping his son and friends escape $800,000 in stock losses after learning of a failed drug trial.
(Pictured: Former Rep. Chris Collins of New York.) Figure/AP)
White House press spokesman McNeney said Trump's pardons for Duncan and Collins were granted after "the request of many members of Congress." She also noted that Duncan served in the U.S. Marine Corps and fought in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Two former U.S. Border Patrol agents, Ramos and Campan, were also pardoned after being convicted of shooting and wounding a Mexican drug smuggler near El Paso, Texas, in 2005.
The pardon list also includes a dentist who pleaded guilty to medical fraud, two women convicted of drug offenses, and Krum, 89, who was sentenced to three years in suspended sentence for pleading with his uncle, who helped his wife brew illegally at the age of 1952.
According to The New York Times, Trump is considering pardoning his family and his personal lawyer Giuliani before stepping down, using his private rights to "reward" loyalists who he believes have been wronged.
Trump fears biden's Justice Department will retaliate against him by targeting his three eldest children, Donald Jr., Eric, Ivanka, and son-in-law Kushner, who are accused of "russia" during the 2016 election and Ivanka is accused of tax fraud.
Giuliani has been investigated by Manhattan federal prosecutors on suspicion of doing business in Ukraine and expelling the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. He was loyal to Trump and led a team of lawyers to wage a constant legal war against states after this year's election, trying to help Trump overturn the election results.
Trump's amnesty has drawn criticism from top Democrats. Rep. Schiff, chairman of the House Standing Committee on Intelligence, said, "The president is abusing his power, and he is issuing amnesty orders not based on justice, but to protect those who lie to him and reward political allies." He is undermining investigations into wrongdoing and providing shelter to criminals who kill civilians. "
(Pictured: White House, Dec. 22.) Figure/AP)
According to the US short news outlet Axios quoted several senior White House officials as saying, Trump has been angry with everyone around him in the coming days, complaining about their stupidity and disloyalty, and not insisting on echoing the "election conspiracy theory". He has turned his anger at those who had previously supported him, such as Pence, Pompeo, McConnell and Meadows.
They are all trying to avoid Trump, and as long as they are not officials who support the "using the Department of Homeland Security or the military to seize voting machines" camp, they will be scolded by Trump as "weak".
Trump believes that Pence has not done enough for him, saying that Pence is turning his back on him because Pence will declare Biden victorious as Senate president on January 6, a role that gives Trump a "knot" in his heart, and he will see Pence's fulfillment of this constitutional obligation as the ultimate betrayal.
White House officials agreed that Trump "had no idea he was crazy" and that next month would be the longest month of his life.
(Photo/AFP)