New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Wednesday signed a law that allows his state to bring charges against individuals who have received a presidential pardon.
The move comes as several former Trump aides and associates are in jail or face legal issues in the Empire State. Former Trump campaign chairman Manafort is in federal prison on bank fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy charges.
“No one is above the law and New York will not turn a blind eye to criminality, no matter who seeks to protect them,” Cuomo said in a statement. “The closure of this egregious loophole gives prosecutors the ability to stand up against any abuse of power, and helps ensure that no politically motivated, self-serving action is sanctioned under law.”
“With the President all but pledging to corruptly abuse his pardon power to allow friends and associates off the hook, it is crucial that we have closed the Double Jeopardy loophole and preserved the rule of law in New York,” said Democrat state Sen. Todd Kaminsky, who co-sponsored the bill.
The law, which will go into effect immediately, ends the “double jeopardy loophole,” which protects individuals from prosecution for crimes that the U.S. government has attempted to try them for.
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