Prominent House Democrats have introduced a new bill that would strip Secret Service protections from felons, specifically in case former President Donald Trump is convicted in one or more criminal cases. .
Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson, ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, has proposed a bill that would deny unlimited security and prohibit government resources allocated to highly disgraced former wards of convicted criminals. , or proposing a disgrace law. This would end Secret Service protection for individuals who have been convicted of a crime. State or local felonies.
Trump is facing the first of four criminal trials related to hush-money payments and falsification of records before the 2016 presidential election, and Thompson will be exempt from protective privilege if convicted. He specifically mentions people who will be affected.
The bill would only apply to individuals who have committed crimes “punishable by imprisonment for at least one year.”
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This was announced by a representative from Thompson's office. newsweek He said the bill would affect anyone convicted of a felony who would otherwise receive Secret Service protection. “It was a long time coming,” he added.
newsweek The Trump campaign and Secret Service were contacted by phone and email for comment.
Thompson said that under current law, there is no consideration as to how or if the Secret Service would provide protection if Republican presidential candidate Trump or someone currently in need of protection were sentenced to prison. claimed that it had not been done.
“As a result, the current law poses an impediment to the equal administration of justice and can create logistical problems for both the Secret Service and prison authorities at the federal and state levels,” Thompson said.
In 1965, Congress approved lifetime protection for former presidents and their spouses unless they withdraw from military service. Key presidential and vice presidential candidates and their spouses will also be provided Secret Service protection within 120 days after the general election.
“This bill removes the possibility of conflicting lines of power within prisons and allows judges to consider individual sentencing without considering the logistical concerns of inmates under Secret Service protection. .”
He added that the bill does not raise punitive concerns and that its purpose is to “hand over the protection of prisoners to the relevant prison authorities, rather than involve the Secret Service.”
Secret Service protection for presidents, other senior officials, and select family members of these officials dates back to 1901. After the assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, protections were extended to presidential candidates of major political parties.
This frustrates Sen. Kennedy's son, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In late March, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas denied the protection request for the fifth time.
Kennedy called the decision “politically motivated.”
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