December 19, 2018 – In Breaking News – ArmyTimes
President Donald Trump said Sunday that he will be “reviewing” the case of a former U.S. Army commando being charged with murder, raising questions about the possibility he could jeopardize the ongoing military legal proceedings.
Trump tweeted that “at the request of many” he will examine allegations that Mathew Golsteyn hunted down and killed a suspected bomb-maker in Afghanistan.
(In a 2016 interview with Brett Baier of Fox News, Maj. Matthew Golsteyn says he tracked down and killed an Afghan man he suspected of making bombs which led to deaths of two U.S. Marines. Golsteyn told Baier that he killed the Afghan because letting him go would have led to additional problems. ‘You realize quickly that you make things worse. It is an inevitable outcome that people who are cooperating with coalition forces, when identified, will suffer some terrible torture or be killed,’ he said. After he was charged with murder, Julie Golsteyn (inset) went on Fox & Friends Weekend on Sunday and defended her husband. Courtesy of Daily Mail and YouTube. Posted on Dec 18, 2018.)
The president tweeted that Golsteyn is a “U.S. Military hero” who could face the death penalty “from our own government.”
At the request of many, I will be reviewing the case of a “U.S. Military hero,” Major Matt Golsteyn, who is charged with murder. He could face the death penalty from our own government after he admitted to killing a Terrorist bomb maker while overseas. @PeteHegseth @FoxNews
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 16, 2018
Any review or intervention by Trump could constitute unlawful command influence and could threaten the case against the former Green Beret.
In a statement Sunday, Army Col. Rob Manning, a Pentagon spokesman, said that “the allegations against Major Matt Golsteyn are a law enforcement matter.”
“The Department of Defense will respect the integrity of this process and provide updates when appropriate.”
Trump and other senior military and administration leaders have issued statements about military criminal cases in the past, triggering legal appeals and other complications as the courts work to insure impartial proceedings.
The president, however, does have broad authority to pardon criminal defendants.
(The parents of Army Major Mathew Golsteyn react to President Trump’s tweet that he will review the case against the former Green Beret, who is accused of killing a suspected Afghanistan bomb maker. Courtesy of CNN and YouTube. Posted on Dec 18, 2018.)
Continue reading… Trump said he’ll review the case against an Army Green Beret charged with murder. This is what could happen.
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