Campaign Action
Tuesday morning, immediately after his farce of Supreme Court nomination, Donald Trump issued his latest "fuck you" to the rule of law. He issued a pardon to the child-abusing serial arsonists Dwight and Steven Hammond.
The Oregon ranchers were convicted of—and pleaded guilty to—arson on federal lands. They were prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Oregon, federal prosecutors. Part of the Department of Justice. Because the arsons were federal offenses. One of the fires was started to cover up poaching on federal lands! They hunted illegally then tried to cover up the evidence by setting it on fire! Another fire was set intentionally when they knew there were Bureau of Land Management fire fighters in the area that they were endangering.
They tried to kill firefighters. And Trump just pardoned them.
By federal law, enacted by Congress, arson on federal land carries a five-year minimum sentence. Why? As Acting U.S. Attorney Billy Williams said at the time of sentencing, "Congress sought to ensure that anyone who maliciously damages United States' property by fire will serve at least 5 years in prison. These sentences are intended to be long enough to deter those like the Hammonds who disregard the law and place fire fighters and others in jeopardy."
And Trump just pardoned them. Hours after naming a would-be justice to the Supreme Court.
It’s not enough that Trump himself is under federal investigation for conspiring with the Russians in the 2016 election. It’s not enough that he’s flouting the Constitution on a weekly basis by enriching himself. Now this. Trump showed long ago that he's not fit to make any nominations, but this total disregard to the rule of law, this total pandering to the worst of white supremacist, nationalist, hate-fueled base, should be the final straw for the Senate.
NONE of his judiciary nominees should be confirmed, particularly not a Supreme Court justice. And every one of those already confirmed should be impeached.