Ilhan Omar: Pardoning Monstrous Criminals Will Leave a Dark Mark on the History of Presidential Pardons

MINNEAPOLIS— Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) issued the following Donald Trump's pardon of four Blackwater contractors convicted of killing 14 civilians in Iraq in 2007.

"This is a dark day for our country. Private Blackwater mercenaries Nicholas Slatten, Paul Alvin Slough, Evan Shawn Liberty, and Dustin Laurent Heard are war criminals.

"They killed 14 civilians in broad daylight and showed no remorse. Pardoning war criminals who murdered innocents—including children— goes directly against every value we claim to hold as Americans and gives a green light to war criminals and human rights abusers around the world.

"Of course, Blackwater was run by Trump supporter and war profiteer Erik Prince, also the brother of Trump Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. One set of rules for Trump and his cronies. Another one for everyone else. Pardoning monstrous criminals will leave a dark mark on the history of presidential pardons."