WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump pardoned his former personal lawyer Rudy Giulianihis former chief of staff Mark Meadows and others are accused of supporting Republican efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
The “full, complete and unconditional” pardons for dozens of Trump allies are largely symbolic. This only applies to federal crimes, and none of the people named in the proclamation were ever charged federally for attempting to overturn an election. Democrat Joe Biden won. This does not address state charges, although state charges related to the 2020 election. are we at a dead end or just limping.
But the move underscores Trump's ongoing efforts to promote the idea that the 2020 election was stolen from him though courts throughout the country and Trump own attorney general At that time, no evidence of fraud was found that could have affected the outcome. Reviews, recalculates And audits elections in states on the battlefield where Trump disputed his defeat was also confirmed Biden's victory.
Trump's recent actions follow a massive pardon of hundreds of people. Trump supporters charged in January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol, including those convicted of attacking law enforcement.
Ed Martin, the Justice Department's clemency coordinator and former attorney for those charged in the Jan. 6 case, linked his clemency announcement to a post on X that said, “No MAGA left behind.”
Dozens of Trump allies receive pardons
Among those pardoned were also Sydney Powelllawyer who promoted baseless conspiracy theories about stolen elections, John Eastmananother lawyer who put forward a plan to save Trump is in power and Geoffrey Clarkformer Justice Department official who supported Trump's efforts to challenge his election defeat.
Republicans who acted as fake electors They were Trump supporters and were indicted in state cases accusing them of providing false certificates proving they were legal voters, despite Biden's win in those states.
The proclamation explicitly states that the pardon does not apply to the president himself, who continues repeat the lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him, used this lie to make his case. radical changes to the way the country votes and demanded from his Ministry of Justice to investigate the vote count that led to his loss.
The pardon characterizes efforts to target Trump allies as “a grave national injustice committed against the American people” and said the pardon was intended to continue the “process of national reconciliation.” Giuliani and others have denied any wrongdoing, saying they were simply challenging election results they believe were tainted by fraud.
“The Biden administration has persecuted and subjected these great Americans to hell for challenging elections that are the cornerstone of democracy,” White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said in an emailed statement.
However, those pardoned have not been prosecuted by the Biden administration. They were charged only by state prosecutors operating separately from the Justice Department.
An Associated Press investigation Since the 2020 election, 475 cases of potential voter fraud have been discovered across the United States. six battlefield statestoo little to change the outcome.
The impact of a pardon is limited
Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, has been one of the most ardent supporters Trump's unfounded claims widespread election fraud following the 2020 elections. It also provides an example of the limited impact of clemency.
Giuliani has was disbarred in Washington, D.C. and New York due to his support for Trump's bogus campaign statements and lost $148 million libel case presented by two former Georgia election officials whose lives were upended by the conspiracy theories he promoted. Because pardons only free people from legal liability for federal crimes, they are unlikely to ease Giuliani's legal woes.
Ted Goodman, a spokesman for Giuliani, said the former mayor “never asked for a pardon but is deeply grateful for President Trump's decision.”
“Mayor Rudy Giuliani continues his work following the 2020 presidential election, when he responded to the legitimate concerns of thousands of everyday Americans,” Goodman said in an emailed statement.
While the pardon may not have immediate legal consequences, experts warn it sends a dangerous signal for future elections.
“This is a complete abdication of the federal government's responsibility to prevent future attempts to overturn the election,” said Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. “Ultimately, the message it sends is, 'We'll take care of you when the time comes.'
Some pardoned were co-conspirators in Trump's federal case
Trump himself faces federal charges criminal charges he is accused of trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat, but the case was brought by DOJ special prosecutor Jack Smith. was abandoned in November following Trump's victory over Democrat Kamala Harris due to the department's policy against prosecuting sitting presidents. Giuliani, Powell, Eastman and Clark were alleged co-conspirators in the federal case brought against Trump but were never charged with federal crimes.
Giuliani, Meadows and others named in the proclamation have been charged by prosecutors in Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin in connection with the 2020 election. repeatedly hit checkpoints or were fired. In September, a judge dismissed a Michigan case against 15 Republicans accused of trying to falsely certify Trump as the winner of the election in the battleground state.
Eastman, the former dean of Chapman University Law School in Southern California, was a close adviser to Trump after the 2020 election and wrote a memo outlining Steps Vice President Mike Pence Could Take stop the counting of electoral votes while presiding over a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6 to keep Trump in power.
Clark, who now oversees the federal regulatory agency, also faces possible disbarment in Washington over his support of Trump's claims. Clark clashed with Justice Department brass over a letter he drafted after the 2020 election that said the department was investigating “various irregularities” and had identified “serious issues” that could have affected elections in Georgia and other states.
In a social media post Monday, Clark said he “did nothing wrong” and “shouldn't have fought this witch hunt for over 4 years.”
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Associated Press reporter Nicholas Ricciardi in Denver contributed to this report.
