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McCaul on President Obama Commuting Chelsea Manning’s Remaining Sentence

January 17, 2017

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) issued the following statement in response to President Obama's decision to commute the almost 30 years of Chelsea Manning's remaining sentence days before he leaves office.

Chairman McCaul: "I am appalled at President Obama's decision to free someone who betrayed our country so egregiously. Manning is a criminal who stole our national security secrets, damaged our alliances, and put innocent lives in danger around the world. Manning deserves universal condemnation, not clemency, and it is disgraceful for a Commander in Chief to set this kind of precedent. Despite all the damage that has been done in recent years from unauthorized intelligence disclosures, Obama is now sending a message to future leakers of classified information that they might be forgiven. Time and again he has put politics before our national security, and his decision to let a traitor off the hook on his way out the door is unforgivable."

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