Mo Brooks Produces Email Asking For Blanket Pardons For Republicans Who Voted Not to Certify 2020 Election
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CBS News’ Robert Costa reported Thursday Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) told him he asked for blanket pardons for Republican lawmakers who voted against certifying the 2020 election.
In an email obtained by Costa, which he said came from the Alabama Republican, Brooks claimed that former President Donald Trump directed him to seek preemptive immunity for Senate and House Republicans.
Brooks also said he wrote the email on behalf of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).
In a message to Trump assistant Molly Michael, Brooks expressed concern Democrats might seek to prosecute GOP lawmakers who voted against certification and supported a challenge from the state of Texas to results in battleground states.
Brooks wrote,
Dear Mollie:
President Trump asked me to send you this letter. This letter is also pursuant to a request from Matt Gaetz.
It is clear that deep-pocketed and vitriolic Socialist Democrats (with perhaps some liberal Republican help) are going to abuse America’s judicial system by targeting numerous Republicans with sham charges deriving from our recent fight for honest and accurate elections, and speeches related thereto.
As such, I recommend that President give general (all purpose) pardons to the following groups of people:
Every Republican who signed the Amicus brief in the Texas lawsuit against other states deriving from their violation of Article I, Section 4 (and, perhaps, other) provision of the United States Constitution.
Every Congressman and Senator who voted to reject the electoral college vote submissions of Arizona and Pennsylvania.
American simply cannot permit Socialist Democrats to abuse Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Association, United States Constitution and various federal statutes via their often-used strategy of abusing the judicial process via private organizations they fund or the prosecutorial arm they will soon control.
Thank you for your consideration.
Trump never issued any such pardons.
Costa also reported Brooks sent CBS a number of texts in which he concluded the pardons ended up being “unnecessary.”
And he texted this: “The email request says it all. There was a concern Democrats would abuse the judicial system by prosecuting and jailing Republicans who acted pursuant to their Constitutional or statutory duties under 3 USC 15…”
— Robert Costa (@costareports) June 23, 2022
“… Fortunately, with time passage, more rational forces took over and no one was persecuted for performing their lawful duties, which means a pardon was unnecessary after all.”
— Robert Costa (@costareports) June 23, 2022
And this: “For ALL Republican Congressmen and Senators who voted against certifying Arizona and Pennsylvania electoral college submittals and/or signed the Texas Amicus Brief.
See attached.”
— Robert Costa (@costareports) June 23, 2022
The email from Brooks is dated five days after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The emergence of the email comes the day the House select committee investigating the riot divulged the names of multiple Republicans who asked Trump for pardons.
