{"id":53278,"date":"2018-06-02T18:38:33","date_gmt":"2018-06-03T01:38:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/?p=53278"},"modified":"2018-06-02T18:38:33","modified_gmt":"2018-06-03T01:38:33","slug":"trump-faces-criticism-for-pardoning-an-indian-american","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/trump-faces-criticism-for-pardoning-an-indian-american\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Faces Criticism for Pardoning an Indian American"},"content":{"rendered":"

File photo of Dinesh D\u2019Souza as he speaks during the final day of the 2014 Republican Leadership Conference, May 31, 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Some of the biggest names in the Republican Party made appearances at the 2014 Republican Leadership Conference, which hosts 1,500 delegates from across the country through May 31.\u00a0 <\/span>(Justin Sullivan\/Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n

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President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon Indian American conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza is being strongly criticized in New York, with New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood describing it as thwarting the cause of justice, write Yoshita Singh <\/b>and Lalit K. Jha.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

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Trump, May 31, pardoned D\u2019Souza, who was sentenced to five years of probation in 2014 for violating federal campaign laws.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrump\u2019s latest pardon makes crystal clear his willingness to use his pardon power to thwart the cause of justice, rather than advance it. By pardoning Dinesh D\u2019Souza, President Trump is undermining the rule of law by pardoning a political supporter who is an unapologetic convicted felon,\u201d Underwood said in a statement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The president, who has never met D\u2019Souza or spoken to him, last night called him on the phone to inform him about his decision. Trump said he spoke to D\u2019Souza \u201cfor three minutes last night…he almost had a heart attack.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Referring to previous pardons by Trump, Underwood said \u201cwe can\u2019t afford to wait to see who will be next.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Underwood called on lawmakers to act now to close New York\u2019s double jeopardy loophole and ensure that anyone who evades federal justice by virtue of a politically expedient pardon can be held accountable if they violate New York law.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In April, the Attorney General\u2019s office sent a letter to state lawmakers urging them to close a loophole in New York\u2019s double jeopardy law. Closing the loophole would ensure that individuals who broke New York law could not evade accountability for any state crimes as a result of a strategically-timed pardon by the president.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The<\/i> New York Times<\/i>, in a scathing editorial on Trump\u2019s pardon of D\u2019Souza, said the president \u201cuses whatever power he has to attack the people he feels have wronged him, and he will do what he feels he must to protect himself. For him, pardons are a means of vengeance.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The editorial titled \u201cDinesh D\u2019Souza? Really? said the message that can be taken from Trump\u2019s executive clemency is that \u201cmaybe the president is sending a signal of loyalty and reassurance to friends and family members who may soon find themselves facing similar criminal charges in connection with the special counsel\u2019s Russia inquiry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump Pardons Indian American Scholar Dinesh D\u2019Souza<\/b><\/p>\n

Trump said D\u2019Souza was treated very unfairly.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Souza was, in the president\u2019s opinion, a victim of selective prosecution for violations of campaign finance laws, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. D\u2019Souza accepted responsibility for his actions, and also completed community service by teaching English to citizens and immigrants seeking citizenship. In light of these facts, the president has determined that Mr. D\u2019Souza is fully worthy of this pardon,\u201d Sanders said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always felt he was very unfairly treated. And a lot of people did, a lot of people did. What should have been a quick minor fine, like everybody else with the election stuff…what they did to him was horrible,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n

Mumbai-born D\u2019Souza, 57, is the author of several New York Times<\/i> bestseller books.<\/p>\n

In 2012 his movie \u20182016: Obama\u2019s America\u2019s\u2019 which was based on his anti-Obama book became the second-highest-grossing political documentary film produced in the U.S.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Souza, who comes from a Roman Catholic family from Goa, had launched a campaign against both Obama and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.<\/p>\n

He is a big supporter of Trump. In a new video, released this week, D\u2019Souza ripped apart \u201cthe false narrative that Democrats are the \u2018anti-fascist\u2019 party.\u201d His latest book \u2018Big Lie\u2019 is based on this.<\/p>\n

The Indian American did not immediately comment on the presidential pardon, excepting retweeting Trump\u2019s tweet in this regard.<\/p>\n

In 2014, D\u2019Souza had pleaded guilty in federal court for using a straw donor to making an illegal contribution to a 2012 Senate campaign. He was thereafter sentenced to eight months in a halfway house near his home in San Diego and five years of probation.<\/p>\n

He is the author of nearly 20 books and producer of four movies, with the latest one being \u2018Hillary\u2019s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party\u2019.<\/p>\n

Top Indian American attorney Preet Bharara had opposed the pardon.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe president has the right to pardon but the facts are these: D\u2019Souza intentionally broke the law, voluntarily pled guilty, apologized for his conduct & the judge found no unfairness. The career prosecutors and agents did their job. Period,\u201d Bharara said in a tweet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

File photo of Dinesh D\u2019Souza as he speaks during the final day of the 2014 Republican Leadership Conference, May 31, 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Some of the biggest names in the Republican Party made appearances at the 2014 Republican Leadership Conference, which hosts 1,500 delegates from across the country through May 31.\u00a0 (Justin Sullivan\/Getty…<\/p>\n

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