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Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) has been one of the president's fiercest congressional critics. (Photo: Lingjing Bao/Talk Media News Photo Archives/Flickr cc)
Rep. Bill Pascrell Demands DOJ Prosecution of Trump's "Innumerable Crimes Against the United States"
"Trump along with his worst enablers must be tried for their crimes against our nation and Constitution," the New Jersey Democrat asserted.
Nov 17, 2020
In stark contrast with President-elect Joe Biden--who is reportedly inclined against investigating and possibly prosecuting President Donald Trump for his many proven and alleged crimes--one Democratic congressman on Tuesday demanded that the president be brought to justice.
"Importantly, any further abuse of the sacred pardon power to shield criminals would itself be obstruction of justice, and any self-pardons would be illegal."
--Rep. Bill Pascrell
Citing an "unprecedented litany of misdeeds [that] must not be swept under the rug," Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.)--a fierce critic of the president--released a statement calling for the prosecution of Trump and members of his administration, whom the 83-year-old congressman accused of committing "innumerable crimes against the United States."
Pascrell's statement said that:
[Trump] has endangered our national security. He ripped families apart. He poisoned theCensus. He has personally profited from his office. He has attacked our elections and sought to throttle democracy. He was rightly impeached by the House of Representatives. He has engaged in treachery [and] in treason. He has all but given up on governing and protecting our nation and if he had a shred of dignity he would resign today.
"In 2021 the entire Trump administration must be fully investigated by the Department of Justice and any other relevant offices," Pascrell asserted. "Trump along with his worst enablers must be tried for their crimes against our nation and Constitution. Importantly, any further abuse of the sacred pardon power to shield criminals would itself be obstruction of justice, and any self-pardons would be illegal."
Pascrell, who serves as chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee, has pursued the president with dogged determination, especially on matters regarding his taxes. Upon his appointment as subcommittee chair, he vowed to be "relentless" in uncovering the president's misdeeds.
"I'm going to use my chairmanship aggressively," Pascrell said last month. Earlier this month, he successfully requested that the United States Special Counsel--an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency--investigate reports that Trump's reelection team illegally used the White House's Eisenhower Executive Office as a campaign "war room."
Pascrell's call to prosecute the president is a major departure from Biden, who according to unnamed advisers cited in a Tuesday NBC News report believes that pursuing charges against Trump would further divide a deeply riven nation and distract from the incoming administration's agenda.
"He's going to be more oriented toward fixing the problems and moving forward than prosecuting them," said one Biden adviser, drawing comparisons to former President Barack Obama's refusal to prosecute the Bush-era architects and perpetrators of CIA and U.S. military torture--and even to former President Gerald Ford's 1974 pardon of his predecessor, the Watergate criminal Richard Nixon.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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In stark contrast with President-elect Joe Biden--who is reportedly inclined against investigating and possibly prosecuting President Donald Trump for his many proven and alleged crimes--one Democratic congressman on Tuesday demanded that the president be brought to justice.
"Importantly, any further abuse of the sacred pardon power to shield criminals would itself be obstruction of justice, and any self-pardons would be illegal."
--Rep. Bill Pascrell
Citing an "unprecedented litany of misdeeds [that] must not be swept under the rug," Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.)--a fierce critic of the president--released a statement calling for the prosecution of Trump and members of his administration, whom the 83-year-old congressman accused of committing "innumerable crimes against the United States."
Pascrell's statement said that:
[Trump] has endangered our national security. He ripped families apart. He poisoned theCensus. He has personally profited from his office. He has attacked our elections and sought to throttle democracy. He was rightly impeached by the House of Representatives. He has engaged in treachery [and] in treason. He has all but given up on governing and protecting our nation and if he had a shred of dignity he would resign today.
"In 2021 the entire Trump administration must be fully investigated by the Department of Justice and any other relevant offices," Pascrell asserted. "Trump along with his worst enablers must be tried for their crimes against our nation and Constitution. Importantly, any further abuse of the sacred pardon power to shield criminals would itself be obstruction of justice, and any self-pardons would be illegal."
Pascrell, who serves as chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee, has pursued the president with dogged determination, especially on matters regarding his taxes. Upon his appointment as subcommittee chair, he vowed to be "relentless" in uncovering the president's misdeeds.
"I'm going to use my chairmanship aggressively," Pascrell said last month. Earlier this month, he successfully requested that the United States Special Counsel--an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency--investigate reports that Trump's reelection team illegally used the White House's Eisenhower Executive Office as a campaign "war room."
Pascrell's call to prosecute the president is a major departure from Biden, who according to unnamed advisers cited in a Tuesday NBC News report believes that pursuing charges against Trump would further divide a deeply riven nation and distract from the incoming administration's agenda.
"He's going to be more oriented toward fixing the problems and moving forward than prosecuting them," said one Biden adviser, drawing comparisons to former President Barack Obama's refusal to prosecute the Bush-era architects and perpetrators of CIA and U.S. military torture--and even to former President Gerald Ford's 1974 pardon of his predecessor, the Watergate criminal Richard Nixon.
In stark contrast with President-elect Joe Biden--who is reportedly inclined against investigating and possibly prosecuting President Donald Trump for his many proven and alleged crimes--one Democratic congressman on Tuesday demanded that the president be brought to justice.
"Importantly, any further abuse of the sacred pardon power to shield criminals would itself be obstruction of justice, and any self-pardons would be illegal."
--Rep. Bill Pascrell
Citing an "unprecedented litany of misdeeds [that] must not be swept under the rug," Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.)--a fierce critic of the president--released a statement calling for the prosecution of Trump and members of his administration, whom the 83-year-old congressman accused of committing "innumerable crimes against the United States."
Pascrell's statement said that:
[Trump] has endangered our national security. He ripped families apart. He poisoned theCensus. He has personally profited from his office. He has attacked our elections and sought to throttle democracy. He was rightly impeached by the House of Representatives. He has engaged in treachery [and] in treason. He has all but given up on governing and protecting our nation and if he had a shred of dignity he would resign today.
"In 2021 the entire Trump administration must be fully investigated by the Department of Justice and any other relevant offices," Pascrell asserted. "Trump along with his worst enablers must be tried for their crimes against our nation and Constitution. Importantly, any further abuse of the sacred pardon power to shield criminals would itself be obstruction of justice, and any self-pardons would be illegal."
Pascrell, who serves as chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee, has pursued the president with dogged determination, especially on matters regarding his taxes. Upon his appointment as subcommittee chair, he vowed to be "relentless" in uncovering the president's misdeeds.
"I'm going to use my chairmanship aggressively," Pascrell said last month. Earlier this month, he successfully requested that the United States Special Counsel--an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency--investigate reports that Trump's reelection team illegally used the White House's Eisenhower Executive Office as a campaign "war room."
Pascrell's call to prosecute the president is a major departure from Biden, who according to unnamed advisers cited in a Tuesday NBC News report believes that pursuing charges against Trump would further divide a deeply riven nation and distract from the incoming administration's agenda.
"He's going to be more oriented toward fixing the problems and moving forward than prosecuting them," said one Biden adviser, drawing comparisons to former President Barack Obama's refusal to prosecute the Bush-era architects and perpetrators of CIA and U.S. military torture--and even to former President Gerald Ford's 1974 pardon of his predecessor, the Watergate criminal Richard Nixon.
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