Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced a bill Friday that would allow presidents and vice presidents — current and former — to move their own civil or criminal cases from a state court to a federal court to stop political local prosecutions such as the one former President Donald Trump faced in New York, Breitbart News has learned exclusively.
“Presidents and Vice Presidents have a right to a fair trial free from political interference, and they should never be targeted by partisan state prosecutors and judges looking to score political points,” Tillis said in a statement provided to Breitbart News.
“The No More Political Prosecutions Act is commonsense legislation that provides Presidents and Vice Presidents (current and former) with the option to move their state cases to a federal court, the same option already provided to other federal officials and employees,” he said.
Tillis’s bill is co-sponsored by Trump allies Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Ted Budd (R-NC), and Mike Lee (R-UT).
The bill would simply amend an existing statute that covers many federal officials and staff, including members of Congress and federal judges, who have an option to move their cases to federal court.
Presidents and vice presidents are some of the only federal officials currently unable to remove their cases to federal court, particularly after leaving office, leaving them vulnerable to state prosecutors and judges who can be elected or appointed by state legislatures or governors. This is in contrast to federal judges, who are Senate-confirmed and have lifetime appointments, which help to preserve their independence from the political process.
Trump has recently faced several cases brought by Democrat state and local officials, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Judges presiding over two of those cases are Democrats or Democrat-appointed.
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“No president or vice president should be plagued by cheap political prosecutions as a private citizen,” Budd said in a statement obtained by Breitbart News. “I’m proud to join Senator Tillis’s effort to make sure that partisan lawfare does not prevail in American politics.”
Graham added, “Given the behavior of the Manhattan DA and other liberal jurisdictions that have brought sham cases against President Trump, it is now time to plan for the future and allow federal officials who are victims of out-of-control state and local prosecutors a chance to move their cases from state court to federal court.”
He added, “The politicization of the legal system against President Trump has opened Pandora’s box. Giving federal officials the ability to move cases like this to federal court will be of tremendous benefit. I greatly appreciate Senator Tillis leading on this important issue.”
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