ACLU linked Trump's three military interventions to weakened command accountability
Reporting and findings
- reported
On December 13, 2019, the American Civil Liberties Union published an assessment arguing that Donald Trump's full pardons for Clint Lorance and Mathew Golsteyn and his rank intervention for Edward Gallagher weakened military justice accountability; it cited opposition from former military leaders and veterans, while the contemporaneous record distinguishes Lorance's conviction, Golsteyn's untried charge, and Gallagher's mixed verdict.
- American Civil Liberties Union: Trump's War Pardons Are Sabotaging the Military Justice SystemNamed assessment of accountability consequences and reaction from military leaders and veterans
- ABC News: Trump issues pardons for 3 service members accused of war crimesContemporaneous factual distinctions among the two pardons and Gallagher rank action
Summary and current status
The named civil-liberties assessment supplies a substantive accountability argument while the underlying pardons, rank action, charges, and verdict remain separately sourced records.
Published civil-liberties assessment
People and organizations
- Donald J. TrumpDonald Trump root
- Clint LoranceTrump pardon recipient in ACLU military-accountability assessment
- Mathew GolsteynTrump pardon recipient in ACLU military-accountability assessment
- Edward GallagherTrump rank-restoration recipient in ACLU military-accountability assessment
Relationships in this file
- Donald J. TrumpTrump military pardon examined by ACLUClint Lorance
- Donald J. TrumpTrump rank intervention examined by ACLUEdward Gallagher
- Donald J. TrumpTrump pretrial pardon examined by ACLUMathew Golsteyn