Following the announcement of the Department of Justice indicting Former President Trump, Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06) released the following statement:
“The latest indictment appears to be an even greater stretch of the law in an effort to destroy Donald Trump,” said Rep. Gary Palmer. “Much of this indictment centers on statements made by President Trump on January 6th that create legal problems for the prosecution in regard to free speech. Regardless of any opinions about President Trump or his statements about the outcome of the 2020 election, President Trump’s statements are protected by the First Amendment right to free speech, especially political speech.”
Rep. Palmer continued, “As some legal experts have already pointed out, this is criminalization of disinformation and misinformation which raises serious concerns about the public’s right to speak openly in opposition to policies they oppose. This is especially troublesome in view of the Biden Administration’s aborted attempt to establish a bureau of disinformation that many believe would have been weaponized against the political opponents of President Biden and the Democratic Party.
Consequently, this indictment falls short of the criminal legal standard for charging anyone and has the appearance of indicting political speech.”