Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R,C,I-Deerpark) chided the Assembly Majority this week for using the Legislature to fulfill their political fantasies of threatening President Trump by passing legislation that would allow the State of New York to prosecute any individual who has been granted a pardon, reprieve or clemency by the President of the United States.

Currently, the president can only pardon individuals for crimes at the federal level. The United State Supreme Court has already ruled that the Double Jeopardy Clause of the U.S. Constitution does not protect individuals from being prosecuted twice by two sovereign entities.

Assembly Majority also passed legislation today that requires the NYS Commissioner of Taxation and Finance to cooperate with the investigations of federal commissions – an initiative meant to force the release of President Trump’s state income tax returns.

“This is a complete and utter disgrace. The Assembly Majority has weaponized the Legislature against a sitting U.S. President simply because they do not agree with him politically,” Brabenec said. “These bills, specifically the tax bills, endanger the privacy of all New Yorkers for the sake of political posturing and grandstanding.

“The past two days antics are a microcosm of the dysfunction and absurdity of the Assembly Majority’s leadership in our state. With the little time we have left in session we should be focused on things like tax relief infrastructure development, not making it easier for the government to invade citizens’ privacy to score cheap political points –the Assembly Majority should be ashamed of themselves.