WASHINGTON–Congressman Bennie Thompson, who represents the Delta in Washington, defended his Disgraced Former Protectees Act in a House Homeland Security Committee meeting Tuesday. Thomspon was called on by several Republicans, including Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor-Green, and August Pfluger, of Texas.
Thompson defended the bill, which was introduced in April, after some of the questioning seemed to indicate that some thought had the bill passed, Trump would not have had security during the event in Butler, Penn., when he was shot.
“Once you are a convicted felon and sentenced you are remanded to the custody of that particular law enforcement agency,” said Thompson, Ranking Member of the committee. He said the text of the bill means that the Secret Service would not protect a convicted protectee while they were in prison.
“I think it’s an anomaly to say that the Secret Service would have to protect a felon in jail,” he said.
Thompson said the bill doesn’t mention Trump by name.
“The bill makes clear that when a protectee is sentenced…the Secret Service is able to hand off the prisoner in an orderly fashion and that Secret Service officers aren’t forced to become correctional officers, too,” he said.
Pfluger, in remarks following Thompson, said the notion that Trump or any protectee would be safe in prison was ridiculous.
“Prison isn’t necessarily a safer place. You can ask Mr. Epstein’s family about that,” said Pfluger.