Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie admitted to requesting two pardons and a commutation from former President Donald Trump in a Thursday tweet.
The representative called on the former president, and now President Joe Biden, to pardon Julian Assange and Edward Snowden and to commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht. Massie’s calls appear to mock recent reports that five congressional Republicans, including Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz and Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, requested a pardon over their alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
“I have an admission to make. I asked Trump for TWO pardons and a commutation, and I ask the same of Biden,” Massie tweeted. “Pardon Julian Assange and Edward Snowden, and commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht.”
I have an admission to make. I asked Trump for TWO pardons and a commutation, and I ask the same of Biden.
Pardon Julian Assange and Edward Snowden, and commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 30, 2022
Assange faces a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison on espionage and hacking charges if he is forced to return to the U.S. for allegedly releasing military secrets via Wikileaks and has been incarcerated in the U.K. since 2019. He faces a possible extradition after British Home Secretary Priti Patel signed an extradition order on June 17. The U.S. won an appeal in December to extradite Assange after a lower court blocked the request.
Republican lawmakers reportedly called on Trump to pardon Snowden after he leaked classified information in 2013, revealing a massive surveillance terrorist-tracking operation run by the NSA to track Americans. He told journalists that the operation collected millions of Americans’ phone calls. He also exposed former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper as having lied to Congress.
Ulbricht was handed a double life sentence plus 40 years without parole for operating Silk Road, an online black marketplace used for drug trafficking. The operation used Bitcoin to prevent sales and funds from being traceable. He was convicted in 2015 of conspiracy to commit money laundering, computer hacking, traffic fraudulent identity documents and traffic narcotics.
Massie said Ulbricht is “over-sentenced” for his crime but should not be pardoned. (RELATED: Stephen Colbert Caught Broadcasting Political Misinformation On The Late Show)
“He doesn’t claim he was innocent, but he’s been over-sentenced for the internet crime he committed — two life sentences + 40 years. The guys who sold drugs using his website are already out of prison. That’s why I believe his sentence should be commuted, instead of pardoning him.”
He doesn’t claim he was innocent, but he’s been over-sentenced for the internet crime he committed – two life sentences + 40 years. The guys who sold drugs using his website are already out of prison. That’s why I believe his sentence should be commuted, instead of pardoning him.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 30, 2022
Former aide to previous White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Cassidy Hutchinson, testified that both Meadows and former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani also requested pardons over their alleged role in the Capitol riot. Giuliani denied ever asking for a pardon.