Donald Trump. (Photo credit: Gage Skidmore)
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) told reporters on Thursday that he supports President Joe Biden's controversial pardon of his son Hunter on federal tax and gun charges — and that he'd similarly like to see a pardon issued for President-elect Donald Trump, NBC News reported.
Fetterman said the cases against Hunter, who has been a subject of Republican investigation for years as they tried to tie his international business dealings to some sort of wrongdoing by his father, were “politically motivated” and “weaponized for political gain,” something that some legal experts have also argued as the charges Hunter was convicted of are rarely charged as standalone crimes — and he compared it to Trump's conviction in Manhattan for falsifying business records to interfere with the 2016 presidential election.
“The same thing was done with Trump with the New York case. And that was bulls--- too,” said Fetterman, who has gained notoriety for his unpredictable political stances. “And that was weaponized for political gain. Now, collectively, I think it’s appropriate for both sides to receive a pardon."
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Although Fetterman specifically mentioned the Manhattan case, Biden doesn't have the power to pardon that, as it is a state conviction.
He would, however, have the power to pardon Trump for the federal election conspiracy charges and classified document theft charges brought by special counsel Jack Smith, which were both dismissed before making it to trial but could be charged again once Trump leaves office. Biden has given no indications he is considering such a pardon, and Fetterman did not answer questions about whether he would actually push for Biden to do so.
The ultimate fate of Trump's conviction in the Manhattan case is still up in the air; he could still possibly be sentenced by Judge Juan Merchan according to some legal experts, but Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his legal team have suggested that should be pushed until after Trump's next term as well.
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