Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he had a 'robust discussion' with Pres. Trump following reports that the president could intervene in war crimes cases.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he had a"robust discussion" with President Donald Trump on Tuesday following reports that the president could intervene in the criminal cases of several American service members convicted or accused of war crimes.
Lorance is serving 19 years in prison, convicted on two counts of second-degree murder for ordering a soldier to fire on unarmed Afghan motorcyclists in 2012. Golsteyn is charged with the murder of an alleged Afghan bombmaker in 2010. And Gallagher, while acquitted of killing a wounded Islamic State captive earlier this year, was sentenced to four months of time served and a reduction in rank for posing with a corpse during a 2017 deployment to Iraq.
According to one official, the meeting was to compile information packets about their relevant cases that Esper could provide to the president. Golsteyn's lawyer, Phil Stackhouse, said that the president's"imminent action" is an example of civilian leadership over the U.S. military.
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