Bowling Green Today

U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) led 28 Senate Republicans in sending a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland condemning the American judicial process and the conviction of former President Donald Trump in Manhattan.

The letter, addressed to AG Garland, states: “The conviction of President Trump in Manhattan is nothing short of the evisceration of the American judicial process. In their zeal to imprison Donald Trump, Democrat prosecutors successfully dissolved the constitutional protections afforded to defendants and the barriers that protect every American from the abuses of arbitrary rule.”

The senators argue that due process has been compromised, citing violations of the Fifth, Fourteenth, and Sixth Amendments. They claim that “due process requires that a defendant be given notice, the opportunity to be heard, and a neutral decision-maker.” They further allege bias by mentioning Judge Juan Merchan’s financial contributions to Democratic candidates and causes.

According to the letter, prosecutors converted alleged time-lapsed business records misdemeanors into felonies without clearly defining what constitutes the specific second crime involved. The letter continues: “Due process cannot exist when the defendant is accused of a secret crime. No American – not even a President – can defend himself fairly in a court of law if he is deprived of his Sixth Amendment right to know what crime he is alleged to have committed.”

The Biden Administration was also criticized for its role in this case. The letter asserts: “The elusive crimes for which Donald Trump has neither been charged with nor convicted could include Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) violations. Alvin Bragg, a New York State prosecutor, has no jurisdiction to enforce federal election law and the federal government would never tolerate a state prosecutor infringing upon its FECA jurisdiction – unless the defendant is Donald Trump.”

Senator Paul concludes: “We condemn this show trial not just because it marks the attempt to imprison a leader of the loyal opposition but because it threatens the existence of due process of law, without which a constitutional republic dedicated to protecting individual liberty is not possible.”

Joining Dr. Paul in sending this letter are U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Rick Scott (R-FL), Roger Marshall (R-KS), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tim Scott (R-SC), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Marco Rubio (R-FL), James Lankford (R-OK), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), JD Vance (R-OH), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Thune (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Katie Britt (R-AL), Mike Braun (R-IN), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Hoeven (R-ND), Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Josh Hawley(R-MO).

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