Dec 8, 2019

Trump brings pardoned soldiers on stage at closed-door fundraiser

Ursula Perano

Trump speaking. — Photo: Noam Galai/WireImage

President Trump brought a pair of recently pardoned soldiers who had been facing a sentence and a possible conviction for war crimes on stage at a closed-door fundraiser for Florida's state Republican Party on Saturday, the Miami Herald reports.

What we know: The men Trump bought on stage were Army 1st Lt. Clint Lorance and Maj. Mathew Golsteyn — both of whom were pardoned by the president last month. Lorance had been serving a 19-year sentence for ordering his unit to shoot unarmed men in Afghanistan. Golsteyn was set to stand trial for the 2010 extrajudicial killing of a suspected bomb maker.

With roughly 1,000 attendees, the "Statesman's Dinner" raised $3.5 million for the Florida Republican Party. Press was barred from the event and attendees were required to leave their phones at the door, but at least six attendees spoke to the Herald.
Trump spent a majority of the dinner praising the party's work in Florida. The governorship, House and Senate in Florida are currently under GOP leadership.

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Trump brings pardoned soldiers on stage at closed-door fundraiser

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