Pro-Trump Police Union Finally Breaks Silence and Condemns Jan. 6 Pardons — But Also Swipes at Biden
AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File
A major police union that endorsed President Donald Trump broke its silence late Tuesday evening on his pardons for those convicted for their actions related to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol — including people who violently assaulted law enforcement officers — but tempered that criticism by also taking a swipe at former President Joe Biden for his eleventh-hour pardons.
Within hours of taking the oath of office, Trump had signed off on pardoning approximately 1,500 people, commuting the sentences of fourteen more, and directing the Department of Justice to dismiss with prejudice (meaning the cases cannot legally be re-filed) any remaining indictments for the rioters. Those to be set free by Trump’s actions include those convicted of violently assaulting police officers, as well as the ringleaders of the attack on the Capitol who were convicted of seditious conspiracy, such as far-right leaders like Enrique Tarrio of the Proud Boys and Stewart Rhodes of the Oath Keepers.
Multiple Republican elected officials have come out and criticized pardons being given to those who committed acts of violence against law enforcement officers, including former Senate GOP leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC).
As for Biden, in his final weekend as president, he commuted the sentences of Ferrone Claiborne and Terance Richardson, who were convicted of fatally shooting a Sussex County, Virginia police officer in 1998. Biden then dropped two batches of pardons on his last day in office. The first covered his former Chief Medical Advisor Anthony Fauci, former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, and members of the January 6 House Select Committee and police officers who testified before the committee. The second group of pardons, in a statement released with less than half an hour left in Biden’s term, announced he was using the presidential pardon power to shield members of his own family, whom he said had been targeted by “unrelenting attacks and threats” and “baseless and politically motivated investigations,” as well as commuting the sentence of Leonard Peltier, who had spent nearly 50 years in prison after being convicted of the murder of two FBI agents in 1975.
The Fraternal Order of Police was initially mum regarding any of these pardons, telling HuffPost’s S.V. Daté “We don’t have a statement about that” when he contacted the organization for a comment “about Trump releasing HUNDREDS of violent felons who assaulted cops.”
As Daté noted, the FOP had endorsed Trump in his re-election efforts and had issued a statement in November congratulating him on his victory.
Nine hours after Daté contacted the union, it issued a joint statement with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) criticizing the pardons and commutations issued by Trump and Biden, condemning them with language that put equal weight on both.
The statement began by noting that the unions “have had long standing and positive relationships with both President Trump and President Biden and have greatly appreciated their support of the policing profession,” but were “deeply discouraged by the recent pardons and commutations granted by both the Biden and Trump Administrations to individuals convicted of killing or assaulting law enforcement officers.”
“The IACP and FOP firmly believe that those convicted of such crimes should serve their full sentences,” the statement continued with broad language applicable to pardons or commutations for any crimes against law enforcement officers in general:
Crimes against law enforcement are not just attacks on individuals or public safety — they are attacks on society and undermine the rule of law. Allowing those convicted of these crimes to be released early diminishes accountability and devalues the sacrifices made by courageous law enforcement officers and their families.
When perpetrators of crimes, especially serious crimes, are not held fully accountable, it sends a dangerous message that the consequences for attacking law enforcement are not severe, potentially emboldening others to commit similar acts of violence.
The IACP and FOP call on policymakers, judicial authorities, and community leaders to ensure that justice is upheld by enforcing full sentences, especially in cases involving violence against law enforcement. This approach reaffirms our commitment to the rule of law, public safety, and the protection of those who risk their lives for our communities.
