Maine Republican U.S. Senator Susan Collins is expressing disapproval over presidential pardons on both sides of the aisle.
Collins issued a statement Tuesday condemning President Trump’s pardon of people engaged in violence on January 6th.
“While I believe some Americans were caught up in the crowd on January 6 and may well deserve the clemency President Trump has given, there is a great difference between violent crimes and non-violent crimes,” said Collins. “I do not support pardons given to people who engaged in violence on January 6, including assaulting police officers, or breaking windows to get into the Capitol, for example.
Collins also criticized President Biden’s move to commute sentences of convicted murderers and pardon of his own family members.
“I also do not agree with President Biden’s recent clemency decisions, including commuting the sentences of convicted murderers, one of whom killed two FBI agents, and preemptively pardoning his son as well as five other members of his own family in the final hours of his Presidency,” Collins said.
Collins chided both sides for their actions.
“This has been a terrible week for our justice system. Violence must never be tolerated in America.”