House GOP Calls On DOJ To Launch Criminal Probe Into Liz Cheney
Another prominent Senate Democrat, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), has expressed criticism of President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, and others in a sweeping act of clemency.
Appearing on CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday, Klobuchar was asked by moderator Margaret Brennan about Biden’s recent issuance of 39 pardons and 1,500 sentence commutations, the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history.
“Are you comfortable with some of these decisions?” Brennan asked.
“No,” Klobuchar replied bluntly, adding that she specifically “didn’t agree with the pardon of the president’s son.”
Klobuchar called for a more structured process for clemency decisions. “We should have some kind of an outside board that governors have,” she suggested. “Governors have the ability to give mercy to people after years have gone by, but a lot of them have boards that make recommendations and other things, instead of people just doing it in the middle of the night and people in the White House. This makes no sense to me.”
While acknowledging that some of the clemency recipients deserved their second chances, Klobuchar questioned the reasoning behind several of the decisions. “I have no doubt there were some righteous pardons in this group,” she said. “But there were a number that I think make no sense at all.”
Criticism of Biden’s unprecedented clemency extended beyond Klobuchar. PJ Media’s Matt Margolis noted the inclusion of Democratic politicians and public officials convicted of serious crimes among the recipients. For instance, Biden commuted the sentences of former New York State Assemblyman William Boyland Jr., who was sentenced to 14 years for bribery and fraud, and former Florida state senate candidate Anis Blemur, who scammed South Florida’s Haitian community out of $1.6 million.
Margolis also highlighted the case of disgraced Pennsylvania judge Mark Ciavarella, infamous for a scheme that funneled thousands of children into detention centers in exchange for kickbacks. Even Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro criticized this decision, calling it “absolutely wrong” and accusing Biden of causing “a lot of pain” in his state.
Other recipients of clemency included former Ohio Commissioner Jimmy Dimora, convicted of accepting bribes over a decade, and former Dixon, Illinois Comptroller Rita Crundwell, who embezzled $53.7 million from her city. Crundwell’s pardon sparked outrage, as Obama had previously denied her clemency.
Biden defended his actions, stating that many individuals granted clemency were serving excessively long sentences that would be reduced under current laws and policies. He also cited the successful reintegration of some individuals into their families and communities during home confinement in the COVID-19 pandemic as evidence of their rehabilitation.
However, Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter, attracted particular scrutiny. Covering an 11-year span starting in 2014, the pardon spared Hunter from a potential prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions. The decision reversed Biden’s earlier public pledge not to interfere in his son’s legal matters.
The move fueled calls from supporters of President-elect Donald Trump for clemency for individuals convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. On social media, Trump supporters urged him to issue pardons to those individuals when he returns to the White House in January.
Trump himself weighed in, condemning Biden’s clemency actions. “Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years?” Trump wrote. “Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!”
Meanwhile, a House Republican-led panel has called for a federal criminal investigation of former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), accusing her of potential “criminal witness tampering” while serving as vice chair of the now-disbanded House select committee that investigated the 2021 Capitol riot.
According to a report from the Committee on House Administration’s Subcommittee on Oversight, Cheney allegedly communicated secretly with Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide, via the encrypted Signal app prior to Hutchinson’s public testimony in June 2022. The subcommittee’s chairman, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), claimed that these communications violated federal laws, including tampering with a witness and procuring perjury.
The report alleged that Cheney influenced Hutchinson’s testimony, some of which was later called into question by other witnesses. Hutchinson’s claims, including an account of former President Trump allegedly lunging for the steering wheel of his vehicle on January 6, were disputed by photographs and testimony from Secret Service agents.
Loudermilk’s report stated, “Based on the evidence obtained by this Subcommittee, numerous federal laws were likely broken by Liz Cheney, the former Vice Chair of the January 6 Select Committee, and these violations should be investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
The report’s findings also criticized the January 6 committee for promoting Hutchinson’s claims despite evidence suggesting inaccuracies. Loudermilk called for further investigation into Cheney’s actions, but the panel’s recommendation carries no legal weight and leaves the decision to the Justice Department.