Administration

Trump looking into pardoning military members accused or convicted of war crimes: report

President Trump is signaling he may pardon several military servicemen either accused of committing war crimes or convicted for them, officials told The New York Times Saturday.

Two U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity told the newspaper that the president has already began making requests for the necessary paperwork to pardon the servicemen.

{mosads}One of the men Trump is reportedly seeking to pardon is Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher, who was charged last year for a number of war crimes, including stabbing and murdering a wounded person and shooting at unarmed Iraqi civilians.

A few months after he was charged, Trump was met with criticism after he said in March that Gallagher would soon be moved to “less restrictive confinement” in “honor of his past service” to the nation.

Another one of the cases Trump is allegedly looking at involves a group of Marine who were charged with urinating on a dead Taliban member.

The officials said they believe the president is also allegedly considering a pardon for Nicholas Slatten, a former Blackwater security guard who was convicted last year for his role in a 2007 shooting of unarmed Iraqi civilians.

The officials told The Times that the White House issued the paperwork requests to begin the pardoning process on Friday.

They added that Trump is planning to pardon the men on Memorial Day.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill. The White House also declined to comment on the report to The Times.

Tags Donald Trump

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