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Republicans criticize governor’s recent pardons

Chautauqua County’s representatives in the state Assembly and U.S. House aren’t pleased with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recent pardoning of two groups.

Just over 24,000 parolees in the state were pardoned in late May by Cuomo to restore their right to vote. The Governor’s Office says the pardon review process examined each person and considered various factors, including whether the person is living successfully in the community by maintaining required contact with his or her parole officer.

“The right to vote is fundamental and it is unconscionable to deny that basic right of citizenship to New Yorkers who have paid their debt to society,” Cuomo said when issuing the pardon back in May.U.S. Rep. Tom Reed came out recently against Cuomo’s pardon after a New York Daily News article stated that 77 sex offenders deemed too dangerous to release back into society were pardoned with voting rights restored. Reed noted that a current carve-out in the state’s criminal trespass laws allows sex offenders to enter a school for a specific purpose of voting.

“We are drafting legislation to ensure our children’s well being following this new and extreme sex offender policy,” Reed said. “Children should not fear about having contact with sex offenders, and extreme policies allowing this to occur must be defeated.”

In late July, Cuomo pardoned several individuals facing the threat of deportation due to prior criminal convictions. Cuomo issued the pardons to seven immigrants in recognition of their rehabilitative efforts and to remove the barriers their criminal records presented to their immigration status.

Individuals who were pardoned by the governor were all over the age of 35 who migrated from Dominican Republic, Barbados, Jamaica and Colombia. Some of the crimes individuals were convicted of include criminal possession of stolen property, possession of controlled substances, attempted sale of a controlled substance and petit larceny.

“At a time when President Trump and the federal government are waging a war on our immigrant communities, New York stands firm in our belief that our diversity is our greatest strength,” Cuomo said. “While President Trump engages in policies that rip children out of the arms of their mothers and tries to ramp up the deportation of New Yorkers to advance his political agenda of hate and division, we will protect our immigrant communities.”

For State Assemblyman Andy Goodell, it’s the second time the governor used his pardon power in a questionable manner as he noted the limited pardon to parolees so they could vote in this year’s election. Goodell said those who illegally enter the U.S. and commit crimes are obtaining special priority treatment more than residents.

“If you are a lawful resident of New York, a regular citizen of New York state and are arrested and convicted, the governor isn’t interested in pardoning you. But if you’re illegally here and abused your time here by committing crimes against New York citizens, then the governor will use his pardon power,” Goodell said. “I think he’s got his priorities backwards.”

Goodell said if someone comes to the country and state illegally and commits crimes against state residents, they should be asked to return home to their home country.

The Governor’s Office said the pardons are the latest actions Cuomo has taken to support the immigrant community and defend immigrants against federal attacks. Last year, the governor launched the Liberty Defense Project, a state-led public-private legal defense program to ensure all immigrants regardless of status have access to legal counsel. The 2019 fiscal year budget included an additional $10 million to ensure the initiative continues.

Regarding the seven who were pardoned, the governor’s office says each one is in good standing, having given back to their communities and families in a variety of ways while demonstrating a substantial period of crime-free, good citizenship.

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