John Fetterman's past is coming back to haunt him.
The Pennsylvania lieutenant governor running for Senate has repeatedly tried to convince voters he's a moderate Democrat focused on tamping down crime in Pennsylvania. On numerous occasions, Fetterman has told reporters and voters that he has “always” supported life sentences for first-degree murderers. (RELATED: Video Showing ‘Happy' John Fetterman About to Release Man Guilty of Brutal Murder Goes Viral)
Recently, Philadelphia passed the grim mark of over 1,000 homicides in two years.
“That's clear. I've always said that,” Fetterman told the Washington Free Beacon editorial board.
However, despite Fetterman's claims he's focused on crime and keeping dangerous criminals off the street his record as chairman of the Board of Pardons paints a much darker story. Not only did Fetterman vote to release more than a dozen killers serving life sentences on first-degree murder charges, but he also released a man who pleaded guilty in order to avoid the death penalty.
Fetterman has publicly supported ending mandatory minimum life sentences in Pennsylvania for people convicted of second-degree murder. The Democrat has claimed clemency should be granted to those who “did not pull the trigger” but were instead accomplices to killings.
But a Washington Free Beacon analysis found the Democrat has voted to commute the prison sentences of at least 13 people convicted of first-degree murder, including some who admitted to their crimes. That was the case last year when Fetterman cast the only vote on the Board of Pardons to commute the sentence of Wayne Covington, who was convicted in 1970 for fatally shooting an 18-year-old for money to buy heroin. Covington was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder after he admitted to the killing in order to avoid the death penalty, the Free Beacon reported.
In some cases, Fetterman voted unanimously with the five-member Board of Pardons to grant clemency to first-degree murderers. In Pennsylvania, all five board members must vote for clemency for a prisoner to be freed. According to Fox News, Fetterman voted to free 10 first-degree murderers who were granted clemency. That includes Charles Goldblum, who was convicted in 1977 of stabbing a man to death 26 times with garden shears in a Pittsburgh parking garage. Goldblum tried to hire a hitman to kill his accomplice in the slaying, the Free Beacon reported. Fetterman said when Goldblum was released from prison last year that he was “happy” that the convict would be going home to his family. Fetterman also inaccurately claimed that Goldblum was serving time for second-degree murder, instead of the more serious charge.
In at least three other instances, Fetterman has cast the only vote on the board to free first-degree murderers, often over the wishes of their victims' families. In addition to the Covington case, Fetterman also voted to free Alexis Rodriguez and John David Brookins, who are serving life terms for first-degree murder. Rodriguez was convicted with four others in the 1989 murder of a police officer's son. Brookins is serving time for stabbing his girlfriend's mother to death with a pair of scissors in 1990, Fox News reported.
Over the past months, Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz has sought to capitalize on his opponent's radical stance on crime, a tactic that has proven successful so far. Fetterman led the celebrity doctor by 11 points in August, but the lead has shrunk to just two points amid a flurry of ads running in Pennsylvania highlighting Fetterman's board votes and his other criminal justice positions.
The latest Daily Wire- Trafalgar poll reported Fetterman leading by just two points. Election prognosticators at RealClearPolitics say the race is a “toss up.”
Fetterman's health has been a subject of scrutiny throughout his campaign. The Democrat suffered a stroke last summer and has refused to participate in a debate against his opponent and has severely cut down on his in-person appearances as a result.
Despite Fetterman's attempts to downplay concerns surrounding his health, he's been unable to avoid the lingering questions from voters calling for him to release his medical records.
“If John Fetterman had ever eaten a vegetable in his life, then maybe he wouldn't have had a major stroke and wouldn't be in the position of having to lie about it constantly,” Dr. Oz's senior communications adviser Rachel Tripp said in an August statement.
In a recent interview with NBC interview, Fetterman acknowledged his stroke but seemed to have difficulty articulating himself, as a result of his stroke. The interview showed Fetterman using closed captioning to help him understand dialogue, answering questions orally after reading them on a computer screen.
Sparking further questions were comments made by the NBC reporter who conducted the sit-down, Dasha Burns, who said that while making “small talk” with Fetterman before the interview without captioning it wasn't clear he was understanding their conversation.
Critics quickly called out that conversation is a key aspect of being a sitting U.S. Senator and questioned if Fetterman's health concerns would hinder his ability to successfully represent Pennsylvanians.
“As a U.S. Senator, daily conversations with a variety of people are a standard, and closed captioning won't always be involved,” said Lizzie Litzow, an NRSC spokesperson. “How can Pennsylvanians expect Fetterman to represent them to the fullest if he can't even get through a short amount of ‘small talk'?”
“John Fetterman has failed to be honest about two things: his support for releasing convicted murderers back on the streets and his health,” Oz's communications director, Brittany Yanick, told The Hill in a statement. “The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Editorial Board called on both candidates to release their medical records weeks ago and The Washington Post Editorial Board called out Fetterman for his lack of transparency. Pennsylvanians deserve to know the truth before they cast a vote on November 8th and John Fetterman needs to be honest with voters. Pennsylvanians deserve answers.”
This story is developing. Stay with American Liberty News for the latest updates.
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Crime is a priority for Fetterman. He needs to be able to continue vandalizing black owned conservative businesses, which he was seen on camera doing, along with releasing 1/3 of all prisoners in Pennsylvania. He wants a crime wave like you’ve never seen before.
Uncle Festerman looks like a refugee from an Addams Family movie. Is his Mother Dr. Pinderschloss?
Obviously his idea of justice is criminal itself.