Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said Wednesday on CNN’s “Newsroom” that he “strongly opposes” President Joe Biden pardoning lawmakers who led the January 6 committee because legal proceedings against them “would ultimately cause a backlash against Donald Trump.”
Blumenthal said, “I strongly oppose preemptive pardon. First of all, it’s in some ways going to be perceived as an implicit acknowledgment of guilt. I’m a former prosecutor, United States attorney, chief federal prosecutor in Connecticut, and state attorney general for 20 years. I know. And people should know that walking into a courtroom and making charges is far from proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. There is no evidence of wrongdoing against those members of the January 6 committees who brought those impeachment articles or who prosecuted them. And the likely beneficiaries of preemptive pardons would be the top echelon, and the underlings would still have the fear of that kind of prosecution.”
He added, “But let’s have faith in the criminal justice system and the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. I think any such unfounded, unjust charges against people who simply did their jobs would ultimately cause a backlash against Donald Trump because there will be acquittals and the costs of their defense or investigation, I think, should be borne by a defense fund. I’d certainly contribute or by a pro bono legal team. I sign up, count me in, because I think they are on the right side. And we ought to make these cases a test case for the principle of justice.”
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