A former Navy sailor who was pardoned by President Trump is planning to sue former President Obama and other members of his administration for subjecting…
A former Navy sailor who was pardoned by President Trump is planning to sue former President Obama and other members of his administration for subjecting him to what he calls unequal protection under the law.
A lawyer for Kristian Saucier, who was pardoned by Trump in March, told Fox News on Monday that he plans to file a lawsuit accusing Obama, former FBI Director James Comey, the Justice Department and others of improperly handling the former sailor’s case.
Saucier, who served one year in prison for mishandling classified information by taking photos onboard a nuclear submarine, alleges that Obama administration officials treated his case differently than how they handled Hillary Clinton ’s use of a private email server while she served as secretary of State.
“We’ll highlight the differences in the way Hillary Clinton was prosecuted and how my client was prosecuted,” Saucier’s attorney Ronald Daigle told Fox News. “We’re seeking to cast a light on this to show that there’s a two-tier justice system, and we want it to be corrected.”
During his 2016 trial, Saucier’s lawyers invoked Clinton’s alleged mishandling of classified information, arguing that there was a double standard in how his violation was handled.
“They interpreted the law in my case to say it was criminal, but they didn’t prosecute Hillary Clinton,” Saucier told Fox News. “Hillary is still walking free. Two guys on my ship did the same thing and weren’t treated as criminals. We want them to correct the wrong.”
The FBI did not charge Clinton over her use of a private email server, though then-FBI Director Comey said her use of a private email server was «extremely careless.»
Saucier was highly critical of Obama officials’ handling of his case, claiming that it was politically motivated and that he was used “as an example” because of the Clinton investigation.
Trump also made the comparison between Saucier and Clinton, mentioning Saucier’s case during the campaign and tweeting about it earlier this year.
“Crooked Hillary Clinton’s top aid, Huma Abedin, has been accused of disregarding basic security protocols,” Trump tweeted just months before pardoning Saucier. “She put Classified Passwords into the hands of foreign agents. Remember sailors pictures on submarine? Jail! Deep State Justice Dept must finally act? Also on Comey & others.”
