The energy is shifting back in Donald Trump’s favor. He’s successfully evaded phony criminal charges in New York, he’s highlight the immense failure of the Biden-Harris administration at the border, and he still remains in total control of the Republican party even as a private citizen. To top it off, a U.S. federal judge has publicly apologized for the horrific Trump bashing tirade made during a phone interview with a “Fake News” outlet.
The Iowa judge admitted wrongdoing and apologized to the Former President after he pardoned many Republican officials and other controversial figures before his departure from the White House — a common practice with most modern presidents.
Leaked phone conversations between Senior U.S. District Judge Robert Pratt and a reporter from the Associated Press made their rounds, highlighting the Anti-Trump sentiment rooted deeply within the Deep State.
“It’s not surprising a criminal like Trump pardons other criminals. But apparently to get a pardon, one has to be either a Republican, a convicted child murderer or a turkey,” the judge said.
Judge Pratt’s remarks set off a fire storm of criticism from lawyers that deemed his statements inapproproate for a man in his position. His Anti-Trump tirade also earned him a judicial misconduct complint from chief judge of the 8th U.S Circuit of Appeals, Lavenski Smith.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, where Pratt has long worked at the Des Moines courthouse, this week posted online a letter dated April 16 from Pratt to Smith.
Pratt said he accepted Smith’s conclusion that his comments constitute “cognizable misconduct” because they veered into what could be construed as “inappropriate partisan statements.”
“I acknowledge the inappropriateness of my comments, and I regret the embarrassment they have caused to my court and the judicial branch in general. I am truly sorry for the remarks and apologize for having made them. I also want to reaffirm my commitment to the impartial administration of justice in full compliance with the Code of Conduct for United States judges.” Pratt wrote.
That code calls for judges to act with impartiality, avoid political activity and not show partisan bias.
Judge Pratt has been on the bench since his appointment by Democratic President Bill Clinton in 1997, but have since stopped taking cases since he reached senior status in 2012.
After Trump pardoned Jesse Benton and John Tate, aids of former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, Pratt felt compelled to unleash his tirade. The two were sentenced of concealing hush-money payments that went to Iowa Sen. Kent Sorenson in exchange for an endorsement for candidate Paul.
The White House noted that the pardons for Tate and Benton were supported by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Ron Paul’s son. Sorenson, who ratted on the campaign officials, was not pardoned.
Judge Pratt sentenced the former Senator to 15 months in prison in 2017, even though prosecutors asked for leniency due to his complete cooperation. Pratt noted that Sorenson improperly took $133,000 in secret payments from presidential campaigns while serving as a senator. He warned that without consequences for abusing the public trust, “political corruption will slowly corrode the foundations of our democracy until it collapses under its own weight.”
The Judge also accused then-President Trump of improperly enriching himself while in office, violating the Constitution clause than bans the acceptance of payments from foreign powers. Judge Pratt had no evidence of his allegations.
Pratt’s criticism reached the people when Trump granted pardons to former campaign officials convicted of false crimes during Robert Mueller’s special investigation into the administration’s collusion with Russia – a taxpayer funded hoax that resulted in no wrongdoing. Trump also annually pardoned turkeys — last year two from Iowa — before Thanksgiving.
Author: Val Dohm
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