U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, who serves as the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor to criticize President Trump’s decision to pardon former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández. Hernández had been convicted in U.S. federal court for drug trafficking and was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Durbin described Hernández's criminal activities: “The former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, was prosecuted by the federal government of the United States for his involvements in the trade in narcotics. He was found guilty of having been involved and sentenced to some 45 years in prison. He once boasted that he ‘would stuff the drugs up the gringos’ noses.’ He accepted a million-dollar bribe from El Chapo to allow cocaine shipments to pass through Honduras destined to the United States. This former president, [President] Hernández, had a man killed in prison to protect him. Honduras has become a bastion of the global drug trade. This former president, [President] Hernández, orchestrated a vast trafficking conspiracy that prosecutors said raked in millions of dollars for cartels while making Honduras one of Central America’s poorest, most violent, most corrupt countries. So, they prosecute him, find him guilty of selling narcotics through these cartels into the United States. Can you think of anyone more reprehensible than that? Selling drugs to this country, finding more victims by the day… Of course, it’s terrible… so terrible that he was found guilty and sentenced to 45 years in prison,” said Durbin.
Durbin criticized President Trump for pardoning Hernández: “Then what happened? Well, you won't believe it. Donald Trump pulls out his pardon pen.”
He also noted what he called hypocrisy regarding those involved in prosecuting Hernández: “When this man who was president of Honduras was facilitating the sale of narcotics in America, we thought so much of the effort to prosecute him that we assigned an assistant U.S. Attorney by the name of Emil Bove. Ring a bell? Emil Bove was chosen by President Trump to serve on [a] Circuit Court of the United States. He was approved by this chamber. I was at the hearing where he was considered. He was proud of the fact that he was ‘tough on crime’... so ‘tough’ that he helped to prosecute Hernández and ended up seeing him sent to jail for so many years,” continued Durbin.
“Then along comes President Trump with his pardon pen and releases Hernández from jail. Releases him… after years and years of prosecution, evidence, and hard work, stopping this man who is facilitating the sale of narcotics in the United States… Hard to imagine, isn’t it?” continued Durbin.
Durbin argued that this case fits a pattern where President Trump used presidential pardons for political reasons or personal allies: “It isn’t hard to imagine if you were here on January 6th and saw the insurrectionists come roaring through this Capitol, storm this chamber, and drive the Senate into recess, as we went to an adjoining building so that law enforcement could take over the situation. [More than 140] law enforcement officers were seriously injured, and several died as a result of their experience. It was a terrible day in the history of the United States,” said Durbin.
He further commented on Trump's use of pardons after being re-elected: “What did Donald Trump do as soon as he was re-elected president? He issued a full and unconditional pardon to [more than 1,500] people who stormed the Capitol. It comes as no surprise that when it comes to major drug traffickers like the former Honduran president, he got out his pardon pen and decided because he had ‘heard from so many friends,’ President [Trump] said; he decided to pardon this man and release him."
“This is not an action by a President trying to keep America safe from narcotics," concluded Durbin." It is a strange understanding of his power that he would use this and not penalize those responsible for bringing narcotics into our country."
Video footage as well as audio recordings are available online for those seeking more information about Senator Durbin’s remarks.
