Michael Whatley Continues Support for Trump Pardons Amid Controversy
Michael Whatley, a Republican contender for the U.S. Senate seat from North Carolina, maintains his endorsement of former President Donald Trump’s pardons related to the January 6 Capitol riot. This stance persists even after revelations concerning some pardoned individuals facing charges for sex crimes.
In 2021, Trump extended a comprehensive pardon to all participants in the Capitol riot, contradicting his initial assertion of pardoning only nonviolent offenders. An NPR report later uncovered that numerous pardoned individuals had either prior convictions or pending allegations, including serious offenses such as rape and sexual abuse of minors.
During a February meet-and-greet, Whatley affirmed his support for the pardons, characterizing the legal actions against these individuals as “malicious.” Among those pardoned is David Daniel from Mint Hill, N.C., previously accused of producing explicit content involving a child under 12. Daniel claimed Trump’s pardon covered this charge, but a judge ruled otherwise, leading to his guilty plea.
Some individuals faced sex crime charges after receiving pardons. Notably, Andrew Paul Johnson from Florida was sentenced to life imprisonment in March for molesting minors. Johnson allegedly promised a victim a share of a supposed federal settlement linked to his pardon, a concept possibly influenced by Trump’s attempt to establish a compensation fund for victims of “government weaponization.”
Whatley has expressed his support for this fund, currently stalled by judicial intervention. His continued endorsement of Trump’s pardons and related initiatives may draw scrutiny due to previous associations. While chairing the North Carolina Republican Party from 2019 to 2024, Whatley appointed Harvey West to two party committees, despite West’s 2000 conviction for indecent conduct involving a minor, as reported by the Asheville Watchdog.
Endorsed by Trump, Whatley is set to challenge former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper in the upcoming general election.
The post Whatley stood by Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons despite sex crime charges appeared first on American Journal News.
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