May 4, 2024
Release names of pols who wanted pardons from Trump after Jan. 6, says Ocasio-Cortez

Release names of pols who wanted pardons from Trump after Jan. 6, says Ocasio-Cortez

Americans need to know who sought pardons from former President Donald Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, siege of the U.S. Capitol, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Sunday.

Several lawmakers requested pardons from Trump in the aftermath of the attack, Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, said Thursday during the first televised hearing of the special House committee probing the seige.

Cheney singled out Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania but added “multiple other Republican congressmen” sought presidential pardons for their roles in the violent effort to block certification of the 2020 election results by Congress.

“When you don’t know which of your colleagues were part of a potential conspiracy, then we need to find out,” Ocasio-Cortez said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “I believe that every member of Congress should be able to answer that question.”

The New York Democrat recently tweeted at GOP Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Matt Gaetz of Florida and Marjorie Taylor Green of Florida asking if they had sought legal cover from the 45th commander-in-chief.

Perry has denied seeking a pardon. He is one of five Republican lawmakers who have been subpoenaed by the House panel to give evidence and refused to cooperate.

“We’ll see what the evidence that the committee lays out will be,” said Ocasio-Cortez. “I believe that the committee would never make an allegation so serious without very substantial evidence to present to the American public.”

The fiery progressive also said she would not commit to supporting President Biden if he runs for reelection in 2024.

“I think if the president has a vision, then that’s something certainly we’re all willing to entertain and examine when the time comes,” she said. “We should endorse when we get to it.

“I believe that the president’s been doing a very good job so far, and, you know, should he run again, I think that … we’ll take a look at it,” she said.

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