Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) thinks former President Biden left Latinos hanging amid a flurry of last-minute pardons that sought to preempt authorized motion by the incoming Trump administration.
“As a member of the U.S. Congress who believes in second possibilities, I’m deeply disillusioned that President Biden — who made headlines for pardoning his son and issuing a report variety of commutations and pardons — refused to grant clemency to deserving Hispanics in South Texas and throughout this nation. These nonviolent offenders paid their debt to society and took the entire requisite steps to take away a stain from their report solely to be met with rejection,” mentioned Gonzalez in a Tuesday assertion.
A spokesperson for Gonzalez declined to call particular instances, citing constituents’ privateness, however the lawmaker mentioned Biden — and President Trump, who on Monday pardoned, commuted sentences for or vowed to dismiss the instances of greater than 1,500 individuals accused of taking part within the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol — ignored deserving clemency candidates whereas checking off their very own political packing containers.
“The group, consisting of Hispanic/Latino constituents, included an 86 year old man who served his sentence over 20 years ago. He turned his life around and has been pardoned by the Texas State Bar and has been practicing law. These are folks who made a mistake and did everything to rectify it. President Biden and his staff had the power to give them a new lease on life, but chose not to,” mentioned Gonzalez.
“Instead, he pardoned his family. Then, President Trump pardoned insurrectionists while my people in South Texas are still left in the lurch. This is not right.”
Trump’s January 6 pardons earned him pleasant hearth, a lot in the identical manner that Biden’s acts of clemency towards associates, family and friends, together with towards his son Hunter Biden in December, drew assaults from either side of the aisle.
Trump’s GOP critics included former Senate Majority Chief Mitch McConnell (Ky.), who in an article on Semafor Tuesday singled out Trump’s pardoning of rioters who straight attacked Capitol Cops.
