Chris Truax in The Hill: “Trump can’t save Hegseth now- no one can.”

Society for the Rule of Law Charter Member Chris Truax was in The Hill warning that, if Pete Hegseth is found to have committed a war crime, he cannot be pardoned by President Trump or by any future  president.

Truax establishes the legal distinction that prevents Hegseth’s actions from enjoying pardon protection. Although the President may pardon someone for offenses against the United States, “The War Crimes Act that authorizes the Department of Justice to prosecute war crimes using international law defines them as, among other things, a ‘grave breach of the Geneva Convention’ and violations of Articles 23, 25, 27, or 28 of the Annex to the 1907 Hague Convention.” Since war crimes violate international law, and since those crimes can still be prosecuted by the U.S. government, Hegseth’s actions remove him from the protection that a presidential pardon could give. “While Hegseth could be pardoned for committing murder in violation of federal law, he cannot be pardoned for committing a war crime, any more than an American president could have pardoned the Nuremberg defendants.”

Truax emphasizes the unique breadth of war crimes law and the range of penalties that can be applied. These consequences extend beyond the ability of any single president to mitigate, and raise serious legal and ethical questions for not only the Secretary of Defense, but for any armed service-members involved. “If you commit an act that violates the laws of war — especially one that results in an intentional killing — sooner or later, you can be held accountable, and the president cannot save you.”

Read the article here.