A Pardoned 'Double Voter'? Trump's Broad Strokes Raise Concerns.
In a bizarre twist, Matthew Laiss, a Pennsylvania man charged with double voting in the 2020 presidential election, has invoked President Donald Trump's pardon for his alleged crimes. The pardon granted by Trump to over 70 individuals, including allies and supporters of the former president, was initially perceived as a narrow gesture aimed at those directly involved in attempts to overturn the election results.
However, Laiss's defense team argues that the pardon's sweeping language applies to him as well. According to the pardon proclamation, Trump granted "a full, complete, and unconditional pardon to all United States citizens" for conduct related to the 2020 election. This stance has raised eyebrows among legal scholars, who warn that such broad language can lead to unintended consequences.
"This is not surprising," said Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Law School in California and former Justice Department official. "The pardon's language is so vague and poorly written that it could conceivably apply to individuals accused of voting illegally, like Laiss."
Critics argue that the pardon's broad application poses significant challenges for law enforcement. While Trump explicitly stated that the pardon applies only to federal crimes, many election-related offenses are prosecuted at the state or local level.
"This is not the kind of language you'd typically see in a pardon proclamation," said Derek Muller, an election law professor at Notre Dame Law School. "Typically, pardons are tailored to specific people or circumstances. But Trump's pardon does name individuals and also speaks to conduct on a much broader scale."
The U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has declined to comment on Laiss's motion, while the White House Press office has remained silent on the matter. As the case moves forward, it remains to be seen whether the judge will ultimately rule that Laiss is covered by Trump's pardon.
Laiss's case raises questions about the limits of presidential power and the potential consequences of a broadly worded pardon. With the U.S. attorney's office set to respond to the motion on Friday, one thing is clear: the implications of this pardon will continue to be felt in the coming weeks.
In a bizarre twist, Matthew Laiss, a Pennsylvania man charged with double voting in the 2020 presidential election, has invoked President Donald Trump's pardon for his alleged crimes. The pardon granted by Trump to over 70 individuals, including allies and supporters of the former president, was initially perceived as a narrow gesture aimed at those directly involved in attempts to overturn the election results.
However, Laiss's defense team argues that the pardon's sweeping language applies to him as well. According to the pardon proclamation, Trump granted "a full, complete, and unconditional pardon to all United States citizens" for conduct related to the 2020 election. This stance has raised eyebrows among legal scholars, who warn that such broad language can lead to unintended consequences.
"This is not surprising," said Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Law School in California and former Justice Department official. "The pardon's language is so vague and poorly written that it could conceivably apply to individuals accused of voting illegally, like Laiss."
Critics argue that the pardon's broad application poses significant challenges for law enforcement. While Trump explicitly stated that the pardon applies only to federal crimes, many election-related offenses are prosecuted at the state or local level.
"This is not the kind of language you'd typically see in a pardon proclamation," said Derek Muller, an election law professor at Notre Dame Law School. "Typically, pardons are tailored to specific people or circumstances. But Trump's pardon does name individuals and also speaks to conduct on a much broader scale."
The U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has declined to comment on Laiss's motion, while the White House Press office has remained silent on the matter. As the case moves forward, it remains to be seen whether the judge will ultimately rule that Laiss is covered by Trump's pardon.
Laiss's case raises questions about the limits of presidential power and the potential consequences of a broadly worded pardon. With the U.S. attorney's office set to respond to the motion on Friday, one thing is clear: the implications of this pardon will continue to be felt in the coming weeks.
This whole pardoning situation with Trump is getting out of hand 
. I mean, come on, 70 people get a blanket pardon for doing who-knows-what? It's like he's trying to set a bad precedent for future presidents 
. And now this guy Laiss is saying the pardon applies to him too? That's just plain crazy talk 
. I'm all for giving people second chances, but not when it comes at the expense of fairness and due process 
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? Either way, it's a worrying sign for the future of our democracy 
. I'm watching this case closely and will be interested in seeing how the courts ultimately rule on this matter 
.
... I mean, think about it - 70 people get pardoned and it's all super vague 
. Who's next? Some random guy who voted twice 'accidentally'? It's like playing a game of musical chairs where innocent lives are at stake 
. And what really gets my goat is that the pardon proclamation says "all United States citizens" - doesn't that mean anyone can just claim they're covered by it? 
The judge has to make this tough decision, and I hope they do their due diligence before ruling on Laiss's case 
. I mean, Trump just goes around giving pardons willy-nilly and now some dude from Pennsylvania is trying to claim he's one of them? It's crazy! I remember when Clinton got impeached back in the 90s, we thought it was a big deal, but this? It's like Trump is playing some kinda fast-forward game with the law 
. What's next? Everyone gonna be pardoned just 'cause they wore that orange hat in 2016? 
I don't get how this works...
. I mean, if Trump can just pardon anyone he wants for anything related to the 2020 election, that's like, super concerning 
Just kidding, but seriously, it's like the law is being totally disregarded here. I'm not saying Trump didn't do what he thought was right, but come on, can't we just have some clarity on this stuff? 
The fact that lawyers are warning about unintended consequences is making me go "what now?" 
#PardonsAndProblems #TrumpVsTheLaw #DoubleVotingDrama
I mean, come on! The language is so broad it's like Trump gave out blank checks to anyone who wants one. And don't even get me started on the lack of clarity around what exactly was pardoned... was it just the voting part or everything else related to elections? It's like they're trying to create a whole new system, and we're all just along for the ride 
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. This whole situation just got weird – 70 people get a free pass and now some dude thinks he can use it too? 
It's like, come on, Matthew, do your own research 
. And what about all those election officials who might be wondering if their work was for naught? 
The White House needs to clarify this ASAP – we can't have our system turned upside down like a game of Twister 
. This is some scary stuff, folks...
I mean, shouldn't there be some kind of oversight or review process before someone gets a blanket pardon like this? 
. And what about all these other people who might think they're covered by this pardon? It's a mess, for sure 
I mean, who am I kidding? It can't just magically apply to anyone accused of voting twice. That's like saying you're guilty until proven innocent or something... but at the same time... 
. This is gonna be interesting to watch unfold
but what if it actually says "yup, you're good to go"? 
and I'm low-key worried about how this is gonna play out 
. Trump's broad strokes may have been meant to help some good people, but now they've got everyone wondering what's next 
. It's like, we need clarity, not confusion 
. We gotta remember that power comes with responsibility, and right now, it feels like some people are playing with fire 
.