New York Republican members of Congress are reacting to the conviction of former President Donald Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records to influence the 2016 election.
Rep. Marc Molinaro, who represents the Binghamton, Cortland and Ithaca areas, called the verdict a “perversion of our justice system” in a statement on social media.
“The leading contender for the presidency doesn’t belong behind bars. It’s disgraceful, unprecedented, and bad for democracy,” the congressman wrote.
On Friday, Molinaro told reporters in Binghamton he expects the ruling will be appealed.
“I do think that it calls into question the Manhattan district attorney's motivation. But again, I think voters will still be given that opportunity to make the final decision,” he said. “This is not a great moment for this country. And it's not a healthy rendering for democracy.”
In a statement on X, Southern Tier Rep. Nick Langworthy called the verdict “an unprecedented corruption of our justice system and a very dark day for America.”
“We have witnessed a blatant action to imprison a presidential nominee and steal the election out of the hands of the voters,” he wrote. “A corrupt prosecutor, a corrupt judge, and a corrupt jury conspired to undermine our democracy in a manner more fitting of a banana republic than the United States of America.”
Langworthy said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was “acting as a useful idiot for Biden, [and] has manipulated the legal system to serve the interests of the radical left.”
Molinaro and Langworthy are both running for reelection in November.
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has called for Bragg and prosecutor Matthew Colangelo to appear at a hearing in June on “weaponization of the federal government”.
Trump is expected to appeal his conviction. His sentencing will take place July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention, where he’s set to be nominated as the 2024 presidential candidate.