Barbara Underwood, the acting Attorney General for the state of New York, on Thursday called on the state legislature to pass a law that would allow the criminal prosecution of suspects even if they have already been convicted and pardoned at the federal government level.
Underwood made the remarks to reporters after President Donald Trump announcedthat he was pardoning conservative loyalist Dinesh D’Souza.
The acting New York A.G. told reporters that there is now an urgency to “close New York’s double jeopardy loophole and ensure that anyone who evades federal justice by virtue of a politically expedient pardon can be held accountable.”
“First it was Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Then it was Scooter Libby. Now it’s Dinesh D’Souza. We can’t afford to wait to see who will be next,” Underwood said.
The call for reforming New York’s double jeopardy law comes as federal and state prosecutors are investigating Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen.
Cohen reportedly could be facing charges for bank fraud and other crimes in connection to his work with Trump.
