[I’m still trying to process the news that Steve Bannon got a full pardon, and now we’re finding out that the Oath Keeper, a convicted and sentenced defendant, got released from prison. It’s really quite stunning. It’s a slam dunk on the rule of law, the equal application of the law, and the concept of accountability. We’re now in a place where the President, as the most powerful person in the United States, can decree that your sentence doesn’t matter, that your conviction doesn’t matter, that your actions don’t matter. And I think that’s a really, really, really dangerous place to be.
And let me tell you why I think that. Look, I’ve spent 21 years in the FBI, 16 years as a special agent. I’ve investigated cases involving political activism, violence, and domestic terrorism. I’ve worked on international terrorism, hate crimes, all that. And I’ve seen cases where the CIA, the FBI, the Secret Service, and other agencies have struggled to get convictions, often because of political bias, often because of disinformation, and often because of the challenges of gathering evidence.
Now, I’m not saying that’s what’s happened here. I am saying that in my 21 years, I’ve seen how the system works, how it’s imperfect, and how it’s vulnerable to manipulation. And I think this is a perfect example of that. And I think it’s a perfect example of how power corrupts, how the accumulation of power corrupts, and how the abuse of power can be catastrophic to the fabric of our democracy.
I’m very, very disappointed. I’m angry, I’m frustrated, and I’m worried. I’m worried about the message that this sends, not just to the people who were harmed during the January 6th insurrection, not just to the people who were injured, not just to the people who were killed, but to every single American who wants to know that our system of justice is fair, that our system of justice is blind, and that our system of justice is equal.
And let’s be clear, this is not just about politics. This is about the rule of law, and this is about our democracy. I think we need to all remember that. We need to stand up, we need to fight for what’s right, and we need to be clear that we won’t be swayed by the whims of one person or one party. We need to be guided by the principles of fairness, justice, and equality.
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