New York Attorney General Letitia James wasted no time condemning President Donald Trump issuing 143 pardons and commutations less than 12 hours before his term will end.
“We are all counting down the minutes,” James said in a statement released within minutes of the pardon list being published, referring to Trump leaving office but also suggesting perhaps another countdown.
“President Donald Trump started his administration with unethical behavior and he will end it no differently,” the New York AG said in her statement. “The 143 pardons and commutations, issued in the twilight hours of the Trump Administration, perfectly sum up what this lame-duck president has always been about: favoritism towards those who show absolute loyalty to Donald Trump. At noon today, the Trump presidency and this national nightmare will finally be over. In a matter of hours, the rule of law will be restored and our nation will begin to heal from four years of abuse, corruption, and hate. We are all counting down the minutes.”
Last month James issued a warning to the Trump administration to maintain all presidential records.
When she took office in 2018 James promised, “We will use every area of the law to investigate President Trump and his business transactions and that of his family as well.”