Congressman Bennie Thompson wants to strip former President Donald Trump of all Secret Service protection if he is convicted of a felony. The Congressman from Bolton issued the following statement Friday:
The United States government has long recognized the need to protect Presidents, former Presidents, other high-level officials, and select family members of those officials from harm. Since 1901, that protective mission has been fulfilled by the U.S. Secret Service. Periodically, Congress has reformed the Secret Service’s protective mission, often in response to exigent circumstances. For example, protection was expanded to major party presidential nominees following the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. Former President Donald J. Trump’s unprecedented 91 felony charges in Federal and State courts across the country have created a new exigency that Congress must address to ensure Secret Service protection does not interfere with the criminal judicial process and the administration of justice. The DISGRACED Former Protectees Act would terminate Secret Service protection for individuals who otherwise qualify for it upon sentencing following conviction for a Federal or State felony. Under current law, Secret Service protection is authorized for some current and former high-level officials and their immediate families. Current law does not contemplate how such protection would occur—or whether it should occur—if a protectee is sentenced to prison following conviction for a felony. As a result, current law may serve as an impediment to the equal administration of justice and present logistical difficulties for both the Secret Service and prison authorities at the Federal and State levels.1 This bill would remove the potential for conflicting lines of authority within prisons and allow judges to weigh the sentencing of individuals without having to factor in the logistical concerns of convicts with Secret Service protection. Is this bill ex post facto and therefore in violation of the Constitution? No. The Supreme Court in Flemming v. Nestor2 suggested that there could be situations where the termination of a benefit may raise ex post facto concerns. However, such a law would have to be shown to have an unlawful, punitive purpose.3 This bill raises no punitive concern. The purpose of this bill is to hand off inmate protection to relevant prison authorities rather than involve the Secret Service. Further, the removal of Secret Service protection does not change the criminal statutes or alter the penalty for crimes. Will this bill apply to former President Trump if he is convicted of a felony? This measure would apply to former President Trump. It also would apply to all Secret Service protectees convicted and sentenced under felony charges.
Representatives Troy Carter, Barbara Lee, Frederica Wilson, Yvette Clarke, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Jasmine Crockett, Joyce Beatty, and Steve Cohen co-sponsored H.R. #8081 with Congressman Thompson.
The text of the bill has not yet been published. H.R. #8081 history and text.
A Washington ____ story inspired Mr. Thompson to craft the bill. The ____ reported in August 2023:
If convicted in any of the three criminal cases he is facing, Donald Trump may be able to influence whether he goes to prison and what his stay there looks like under a law that allows former U.S. presidents to keep Secret Service protection for life, some current and former U.S. officials said.....
Mary McCord, who served as acting assistant attorney general for national security during President Barack Obama’s administration and led the department for the first several months under Trump, said Trump presents unique challenges to the Justice Department. Ensuring some penalty for a former president under Secret Service detail would require extensive discussions and potential accommodations, “because it really would be a pretty enormous burden on our prison system to have to incarcerate Donald Trump.”.... Former and current Secret Service agents said that while there is no precedent, they feel certain the agency would insist on providing some form of 24/7 protection to an imprisoned former president. And, they say, the agency is probably planning for that possibility, seeking to match to some degree its normal practice of rotating three daily shifts of at least one or two agents providing close proximity protection..... Article
The bill raises some questions although we do not yet know what the text of the bill is:
* Does Secret Service protection resume if the former subject of said protection is no longer incarcerated?
* If Mr. Trump is convicted but placed on probation or house arrest, will he be able to receive Secret Service protection?
One hopes Mr. Thompson is trying to strip Mr. Trump of all Secret Service protection for nefarious purposes as Mr. Trump would be a sitting duck for any assassination attempts from terrorists, nut jobs, and other bad actors. Perhaps the bill will only limit such protection if the former President is incarcerated and allow it to resume upon release. Trump can afford bodyguards but private bodyguards are not the same as the Secret Service.
Kingfish note: See the Barry Seal story. Start with U.S. District Judge Frank Polozola.
63 comments:
This will apply to sleepy Joe in the near future.
I would love to strip Bennie of his power!!
Certainly would make it easier to throw the Don into jail when he is convicted. His people could hire inmates to protect him and save SS guys the indignity of serving time in the Federal Hooscow with the Don.
Best deal for everyone involved, since the Don has already foolishly said he would love to go to jail.
It's Benjamin Kangaroo that needs a stretch in stir for his Soviet J6 hearings.
What crime did Robert Kennedy commit? Why is sleepy Joe denying Kennedy Secret Service protection? Those democrats are showing their, true colors, and they are the backdrop for a hammer, and sickle. It's bad enough they had the uniparty hidden from view, for 50 years, now it's being displayed in full view.
I'm ok with this for one reason:
Stripping leftists of any and all protection in the future will be a good thing. Hopefully, this would also lead to stripping their retirements and keeping all of their PAC money when they leave office.
If he is convicted and ordered to serve time , he shouldn’t need SS protection , that’s what the guards are for.
Wonder of wonders, Bennie "What's in it for me" Thompson has actually caused me to feel a slight twinge of sympathy for the Orange Menace, in which case I shudder to imagine how many people he has added to The Base.
Whew, it passed. I still think that such legislation should be held in abeyance until Drumpf has actually been convicted and all appeals have run.
The communist are getting scared. Doing anything they can to take out Trump. A man they once liked.
Benny has a good reason for wanting Trump in jail. Then Benny would not be going to jail for destroying the results of the Jan 6 investigation.
Actually a good move by our congressman; one of the few smart moves he has made in his 30 plus years of 'service' in the District. If (when?) the Don is convicted, a Judge would have to deal with what to do with the Secret Service folks when considering a sentence. But under Bennie's deal, the burden of protection would just move from the Secret Service to the Bureau of Prisons (assuming a federal conviction) or the state prison system in NY or GA. After all, they are charged with protecting all inmates, so providing protection for the Don is just one more for them to address.
Frankly, this continuous for life protection provided to former presidents (and their spouses) is something that should be discontinued, regardless of the issue of facing protection of a criminal.
Without a doubt, Bennie is the shabbiest member of Congress. What a disgrace he is.
The only thing that’s improved since that fat pant load went to Congress is his personal portfolio.
What a racist puke
Bet he agrees that a full moon is that complete, rounded circle which is made up mostly of gases.
For a Hinds County supervisor who got himself elected to Washington DC, he sure went and got the big head.
Any former president convicted of a felony should be stripped of all presidential benefits, including SS protection. I agree with Rep. Thompson.
All the while the 2nd congressional district of Mississippi continues to be the most impoverished in America. Bennie has done absolutely nothing to improve the lives of the citizens he represents. Those same people continue to elect him every two years.
I remember when Bennie Thompson was a Hinds County Supervisor & would have delivered to anyone in rural Hinds County a truckload of gravel for their driveways for a fee. My Dad took advantage of that several times...
Iran has already put a bounty on Trump’s head. The Democrats would love to see him assassinated. They hate things like freedom, low taxes, freedom of speech, 2nd amendment rights. Thompson should be jeld accountable for destruction of federal records, a crime. Wonder what they are hiding from the people.
KF - ought to take a poll of your commentors to determine if all those that comment about Shad's convicting the little guys while leaving the big fish alone, and also wanting all those public officials that Shad catches with their finger in the pie to lose their PERS benefits match somehow with those that think Trump should be left alone, that his prosecution is only politically motivated and that Bennie is wrong in trying to strip him of his SS protection.
Pot - meet kettle.
@7:47 I remember when there were scores of county supervisors who went to jail for doing the same thing Bennie (who was associated with the group that killed Officer Skinner) but he got away with it because he is black. Like it or not it’s the truth. He should be ousted and serve time for his knowledge. Of the murder of officer Skinner and the death of an FBI agent in 1970. There are no statutes of limitations on murder. But, I guess there is when you’re a friend of Chokwe Sr, and Jesse jackson. Ain’t it strange that Sr died in 2014 after being admitted in at St Dominic’s? Old wounds run deep my friends.
It's coming. Be ready.
i watched bennie say in a jan 6 documentary he saw confederate flags in the crowd and it traumatized him.
how bout when bennie was running around waving republic of new africa flags.
think about it
6:52, or if 8,000 Marines were to be stationed on Guam it would "become so overly populated that it would tip over and capsize".
They can lock him up with the goon squad . They will protec him!
I just love we are having this conversation!
Bennie is by far the worst racist in congress. I have had the misfortune of attending numerous meetings with him in his DC office. He tries at no level to hide it. That’s why his district will always be depressed. He would die before working with the white devil to help his people. Sad !
I always predicted that Trump would implode the Republican Klan. MJT is the general leading the charge for Trump and I predict that come November after the democrats run the table many will come into the fold to work with progressives to rearrange the order of things to the benefit of all.
Where did he name the former president specifically in the bill?
That Secret Service protection is gold-plated. Just ask the Kennedy brothers.
Bennie Thompson, he's the one you neeheeed!
Once Broke Don is convicted you will not have to worry about him being elected, half of the independents and a quarter of Republicans will not vote for a convicted felon.
This seems a bit premature. Bills go through committee and get altered to address such issues.
What's clear, is some of you think an ex President should be above the law even if he is convicted of a crime.
You already want to ignore the assaults on Capitol police officers and support him pardoning them.
You would apparently not care about the nature of the crime. So, can he kill Melania to prevent a divorce settlement or just kill Stormy?
Bennie Thompson needs to be in jail for his lies and destroying Jan 6 exculpatory evidence. (And a whole lot more)
Meanwhile, Jackson can't deliver clean water to his constituents. I saw Bennie on a flight a while ago. I made direct eye contact, shook my head, and laughed directly in his face. He is, in fact, a joke.
Never forget that this was the same Bennie Thompson, who refused to go to Donald Trump‘s inauguration. Do not forget that this is the same Bennie Thompson who turned his back on Donald Trump when the President came to dedicate the civil rights museum in Jackson Mississippi… Again it was the civil rights Museum and who turned his back on the President!? And yet somehow the same Benny Thompson was cochair of a committee to judge Donald Trump‘s alleged but never proven involvement in January 6!
From Anonymous
This is the same Bennie Thompson, with other members of the congressional black caucus, did not attend the inauguration of Donald Trump as president. This is the same Bennie Thompson, who turned his back on Donald Trump when he came here as president to dedicate the civil rights museum in Jackson Mississippi… Again this was the civil rights museum in Jackson, Mississippi, and Benny Thompson showed his backside. And somehow the same Bennie Thompson was cochair of the congressional committee to look into January 6… To allegedly prove that Donald Trump has something to do with the events of the day. Why does the media not report these things? What is the media so afraid of?
Actually, Thompson voted against certifying the electors in 2004 for George W. Bush.
Seems like Joe is not th only one that is sleepy these days.
this is the ultimate cheap shot.
bennie sits his fat ass up in washington , lording over his gerrymandered district which will keep him in office for life.
he is a total disgrace
wants to keep every voter he has dependent on government handouts so he can control them.
There are very few people on this planet I have less respect for than I do Bennie Thompson. This country's decline is being fueled by us perpetually sending the worst of our society to Washington to represent us.
2004 is very different.
The losing candidate did not ramble on for years about a fradulent election.
The losing candidate did not organize a "march" on the capitol and claim his vice president had authority to reject certain state ballots.
A faction of the losing candidate's party claimed a specific issue with a specific state, made objections in congress, lost - and moved on.
Thompson has always been a totally worthless piece of 💩! He all all his worthless cronies on the J6 committee need to be imprisoned for destroying evidence.
Good job, Congressman Thompson. I have never voted for you before, but bringing attention to this matter, and having reviewed the local bubba comments on this story have convinced me you are a way of stopping the stupid.
I'm glad the marxist are expressing the intent to harm the opposition instead of hiding it as they did in the past.
our country is polarized on the national level and idiots like this are just pouring gasoline on the fire instead of trying to put it out. gee I wonder how this ends?
I agree 10:18. It’s a shame the GOP has sunk to sending trash like Boebert, MTG, and Gaetz to Washington. It really speaks volumes about the insanity that has gripped millions of Americans who follow Trump and MAGA.
Yo! Bro. Thompson good job, if not in this congress, this should pass easily in the next!
If any President or ex President is convicted as a felon I agree they should not have secret service protection. If Trump is convicted I’m sure MAGA will pay for his security. Then he will not have to use his billions!!!
Bennie, just worry about your own dump of a district.
10:29, Thompson did in fact vote to deny the winner to take office in 2004. He is what he says he abhors now.
@ April 21, 2024 at 4:09 PM
That's some strong stupidity and if you support any of the scumbags that attacked Capital Police Officers you are a scumbag as well, now go kick rocks
Don't really have a country left. You have a great bastardized legal system showing their ass though.
A lot of jack booted unelected bureaucrats, making a mockery of most everything we once held dear. Maybe that was just an illusion that can no longer held together.
Benny is just a pawn of the Lord Snows of the country. Anyone that thinks this is fine governing, is likely profiting from the maleficence.
Either way, condolences are in order. The Republic is no more.
12:40. What about the trash on your side??? Shelia Jackson Lee, Jamaal Bowman, Adam Schiff, Cortez and the rest of the squad, and many others. Not a fan of MTG but she makes more sense than your bunch.
And yeah right the progressive movement is going to save us!!!
well sAID 8:05
Bennie has been "wetting his beak" (hat tip to Don Fanucci) forever. A friend of mine who worked for the Two Museums was astonished to learn that all outside contracts, including event catering, had to be padded out so Bennie could get his cut.
Anything for a buck bennie.
I remember when Mitch McConnell wanted to strip President Obama of Presidential privileges when he was elected for the obvious reason. My how times have definitely changed.
Trump can ask those agents if they want to head up his new security detail if that happens. Probably will make more money.
I would commend to you reading the publicly-available transcripts of the Trump criminal trial in NY: PDFs.nycourts.gov
The prosecution has set out clearly what Trump, Cohen and the aptly-named Pecker did, while the defense has been flailing to accomplish anything. The non-Cohen witnesses have established the election interference scheme so effectively that they may not even need to call Cohen to testify. Mechanics is a senior and experienced judge
The redirect of Pecker on pp 1452 - 1475 is devastating and lays out the whole case if you just want to get the point in a few pages.
On this one, Thompson is right — one might worry that an ex-President might be kidnapped and held for ransom or tortured to reveal US secrets. Russia would have no need to do so as Trump (and a chunk of the GOP) are already on their side, as even Republican Mike Turner, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee has warned.
Gee, if Trump goes to jail for a night for criminal contempt for continuing to shoot his mouth off, how will he fix his ridiculous hairdo for the next day in court? I doubt that have blow dryers, spray and glue in the hoosegow.
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