Trump issues pardons in war-crimes cases, despite Pentagon opposition to the move [View all]
Source: Washington Post
President Trump intervened in three military justice cases involving war-crimes accusations Friday, issuing at least two pardons that will prevent the Pentagon from pursuing future charges against the individuals involved, according to one of their lawyers and a U.S. official.
The service members involved were notified by Trump over the phone, said the U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. Army Maj. Mathew L. Golsteyn, who faced a murder trial scheduled to begin next year, took the phone call and was informed he would receive a full pardon, said his lawyer, Phillip Stackhouse.
The calls were made at the tail end of a day dominated by impeachment hearings against Trump, and after days of efforts by some senior Pentagon officials to change his mind, according to three U.S. officials. The officials, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that some commanders have raised concerns that Trump’s move will undermine the military justice system.
Other U.S. officials and advocates for the service members involved have said that adopting the president’s desires in the military justice system should not be difficult. It typically focuses with commanders overseeing the process, with Trump serving at the top of that system as commander in chief.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2019/11/15/trump-issues-pardons-war-crimes-cases-despite-pentagon-opposition-move/
Original article and headline -
By Washington Post Staff
November 15, 2019 at 6:31 p.m. EST
President Trump notified the service members involved by phone, according to one of their lawyers and a U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The cases involve Army Maj. Mathew Golsteyn, a former Special Forces officer; former special warfare operator chief Edward Gallagher, a Navy SEAL; and former Army 1st Lt. Clint Lorance, who was convicted of second-degree murder in 2013.
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/national/wp/2019/11/15/trump-intervenes-in-three-military-justice-cases-involving-war-crimes-accusations-issuing-pardons/
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