Notable Quotable: Mark L. Wolf On Donald Trump
Imagine if every American citizen were given a free pass to commit fraud. How safe would you feel if criminals pleaded guilty, went to jail, and then got their “get out of jail” card in exchange for paying a huge sum of cash to a campaign fund, a political party, a personal construction project, or promotion of a leader’s pet crypto coin project?
In 2025, America has edged closer to failed nation status where corruption by leaders rules the day.
To call attention to the improprieties of this nation's leaders, also known as law-breaking by and for the ultra-rich, Mark L. Wolf, senior judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, has resigned.
“I no longer can bear to be restrained by what judges can say publicly or do outside the courtroom,” wrote Wolf, who was nominated to the U.S. District Court by former President Ronald Reagan. “President Donald Trump is using the law for partisan purposes, targeting his adversaries while sparing his friends and donors from investigation, prosecution, and possible punishment.”
Here we also quote USA Today’s list of Trump’s most recent high-profile pardons and the crimes being forgiven:
Paul Walczak, the son of a wealthy Republican donor who was convicted of tax evasion for siphoning more than $10.9 million in payroll taxes from the paychecks of doctors and nurses. He had been sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Michele Fiore, a former Las Vegas City Councilwoman who was convicted of federal charity fraud after misusing donations for a planned police memorial, received a pardon. She had not been sentenced when she was pardoned.
Scott Jenkins, a former Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery in what prosecutors called a "cash-for-badges scheme,”was also pardoned ahead of a 10-year prison sentence scheduled to start on May 27, 2025.
Reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley of "Chrisley Knows Best," convicted in 2022 of conspiring to defraud community banks, defraud the IRS and commit tax evasion, were pardoned in May.
Former Rep. George Santos had his seven-year prison sentence commuted and was released from jail on Oct. 17. He pleaded guilty to felony wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, convicted of money laundering. The White House said he was prosecuted due to the Biden administration's "war on cryptocurrency."
Former baseball star Darryl Strawberry was pardoned for a past conviction on tax evasion, the White House said on Nov. 7.
Should all Americans be allowed to break the law, or just those who the President decides are worthy of his forgiveness? What are your thoughts?
Read more about the pardons in USA today.
Well Street
I think "unabashedly" is an appropriate way to describe the administration's pay-for-play policy to receive a pardon, be granted an audience, or be given a favor.
The president boasted that his administration would be the most transparent in history, and, in this regard, he's keeping his promise by shamelessly letting people off the hook. Maybe the pardon recipients have seen the error of their ways, and DJT's mercy will inspire them to walk the straight and narrow path {uproarious laughter ensues}.
Slipstream
As my grandmother would say, "birds of a feather flock together." Protect those who are just as corrupt as you, and you'll have them as mouthpieces praising you for your future unethical and immoral behavior.
However, that said, I do have faith in a higher power that will show up and move us in a miraculous way to right this sinking ship.