ST. PAUL, Minn. — Following hours of debate last Thursday, and continued debate today, Senator Liz Boldon (DFL – Rochester) voted “Yes” on Senate Resolution 15, expressing the Minnesota Senate’s condemnation of President Trump’s pardon of criminal participants of the January 6th insurrection who had been found guilty of violent crimes.
The January 6th insurrection injured more than 140 police officers, in what U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia called “the largest single-day, mass assault of law enforcement officers in our nation’s history.” Shortly after being sworn in for his second term, President Trump granted “a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses” related to the attack on our democracy on January 6, 2021.
“This was an easy ‘Yes’ vote for me and my DFL colleagues,” said Senator Boldon. “The insurrectionists convicted of violent crimes on January 6th were not ‘patriots’ as President Trump claims. They were traitors to our country. Furthermore, Trump has floated the idea of compensating these convicted violent criminals for attempting to overturn a democratic election. His message is clear: If you commit violence on my behalf, I will have your back. This is a complete betrayal of our impartial criminal legal system, and rewards attacks on our Constitution and democracy.”
The resolution passed the Senate on a vote of 34 – 22, with all 34 DFL members voting in favor, and 10 Republican members not voting. Following today’s passage, a copy of Senate Resolution 15 will be transmitted to President Trump, the US House of Representatives, the US Senate, and Governor Walz.
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