Michael Cohen has two words for President Donald Trump: Pardon me.
Cohen, Trump’s former attorney who morphed into a prosecution witness against Trump in Trump’s hush money trial last year, is among five white-collar criminals who have publicly begged Trump for pardons that were denied by former President Joe Biden.
In addition to Cohen, former Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. of Illinois, rabbi and former political candidate Michael Rothenberg, cardiologist Dr. Michael Jones and radio host Warren Ballentine have banded together to make a public appeal for pardons, according to The Hill.
Jackson said, he was acting on behalf of 70 million criminals locked in a “perpetual state of felonization” that makes it hard to find jobs and housing.
All five men were convicted of non-violent federal crimes. Jackson, the son of civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, pleaded guilty in 2013 to defrauding his campaign of $750,000. Cohen pleaded guilty to federal tax crimes and other charges in 2018.
Ballentine was convicted of fraud in 2013 while Rothenberg was jailed on a wire fraud charge in 2014. Jones was convicted of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud.
“We’d like Donald Trump to reinstate every pardon application that Joe Biden did not review, because he only reviewed, clearly, his family’s,” Jackson said.
“This is the path to the Nobel Peace Prize,” Jackson added. “How many people can you help without Congress, without the courts? These people will be forever grateful to him.”
Should Trump grant clemency to these men?
In an Op-Ed the five men wrote that was published by The Hill, they hammered away at Biden’s pardons of his family members and his mental state as Biden’s presidency drew to a close.
“Biden’s pardons of close associates and family members raised serious ethical and legal concerns, particularly when others in similar situations were denied pardons,” theywrote.
“The issue at hand was not about his legal right to grant pardons, but whether his cognitive condition affected the integrity of such decisions,” they wrote.
“Reports citing Biden’s struggles with memory lapses, confusion during public engagements, and limited unscripted interactions have led to growing skepticism about his ability to make impartial, well-reasoned choices.”
“If his cognitive decline influenced these pardons, then others denied pardons on similar grounds deserve reconsideration,” they continued.
The five men said Biden “denied pardons to many nonviolent drug offenders and individuals who had applied for pardons citing unjust sentencing. And at the same time, relatives of the president, whose cases raised potential conflicts of interest, were granted pardons.”
“If Biden’s mental capacity is in question, Congress should consider requiring competency reviews for presidential pardon decisions,” the men wrote, adding that “pardons must be given fairly, justly, free of undue influence.”
“If Biden’s family and associates benefited from a decision process that did not include his full understanding or consent, justice demands that others denied pardons receive reconsideration. Each of us respectfully requests it of President Trump now, for ourselves and for all those Americans who will need mercy and forgiveness in the future,” they said.
Trump most recently pardoned former reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley. They are among dozens of individuals issued pardons or sentence commutations by Trump.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
