Durbin Condemns Pardon Of Former President Of Honduras
Durbin: “Donald Trump issued a full and unconditional pardon to [more than 1,500] people who stormed the Capitol. It comes as no surprise [that] when it comes to major drug traffickers like the former Honduran president, Donald Trump got out his pardon pen.”
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, condemned President Trump’s pardon of the former Honduran president, Juan Orlando Hernández.
Durbin began by outlining the horrendous conduct of Mr. Hernández, a convicted drug trafficker.
“The former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, was prosecuted by the federal government of the United States for his involvements in the trade in narcotics. He was found guilty of having been involved and sentenced to some 45 years in prison. He once boasted that he ‘would stuff the drugs up the gringos’ noses.’ He accepted a million-dollar bribe from El Chapo to allow cocaine shipments to pass through Honduras destined to the United States. This former president, [President] Hernández, had a man killed in prison to protect him. Honduras has become a bastion of the global drug trade. This former president, [President] Hernández, orchestrated a vast trafficking conspiracy that prosecutors said raked in millions of dollars for cartels while making Honduras one of Central America’s poorest, most violent, most corrupt countries. So, they prosecute him, find him guilty of selling narcotics through these cartels into the United States. Can you think of anyone more reprehensible than that? Selling drugs to this country, finding more victims by the day… Of course, it’s terrible… so terrible that he was found guilty and sentenced to 45 years in prison,” said Durbin.
“Then what happened? Well, you won't believe it. Donald Trump pulls out his pardon pen,” continued Durbin.
Durbin then highlighted the hypocrisy of this pardon, which forgives the crimes prosecuted by then-Assistant U.S. Attorney and now Trump-appointed U.S. Circuit Court Judge Emil Bove.
“When this man who was president of Honduras was facilitating the sale of narcotics in America, we thought so much of the effort to prosecute him that we assigned an assistant U.S. Attorney by the name of Emil Bove. Ring a bell? Emil Bove was chosen by President Trump to serve on [a] Circuit Court of the United States. He was approved by this chamber. I was at the hearing where he was considered. He was proud of the fact that he was ‘tough on crime’... so ‘tough’ that he helped to prosecute Hernández and ended up seeing him sent to jail for so many years,” continued Durbin.
“Then along comes President Trump with his pardon pen and releases Hernández from jail. Releases him… after years and years of prosecution, evidence, and hard work, stopping this man who is facilitating the sale of narcotics in the United States… Hard to imagine, isn’t it?” continued Durbin.
Durbin then extrapolated this instance to a repeated misuse of the presidential pardon power by President Trump to extend political favors to personal allies.
“It isn’t hard to imagine if you were here on January 6th and saw the insurrectionists come roaring through this Capitol, storm this chamber, and drive the Senate into recess, as we went to an adjoining building so that law enforcement could take over the situation. [More than 140] law enforcement officers were seriously injured, and several died as a result of their experience. It was a terrible day in the history of the United States,” said Durbin.
“What did Donald Trump do as soon as he was re-elected president? He issued a full and unconditional pardon to [more than 1,500] people who stormed the Capitol. It comes as no surprise that when it comes to major drug traffickers like the former Honduran president, he got out his pardon pen and decided, because he had ‘heard from so many friends,’ President [Trump] said, he decided to pardon this man and release him. This is not an action by a President trying to keep America safe from narcotics. It is a strange understanding of his power that he would use this and not penalize those responsible for the narcotics coming into the United States,” concluded Durbin.
Video of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.
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