President Donald Trump says he will rescind military awards for the lawyers who prosecuted ex-Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher.
Trump tweeted Wednesday afternoon:
"The Prosecutors who lost the case against SEAL Eddie Gallagher (who I released from solitary confinement so he could fight his case properly), were ridiculously given a Navy Achievement Medal."
"Not only did they lose the case, they had difficulty with respect to information that may have been obtained from opposing lawyers and for giving immunity in a totally incompetent fashion. I have directed the Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer & Chief of Naval Operations John Richardson to immediately withdraw and rescind the awards. I am very happy for Eddie Gallagher and his family!"
Gallagher earlier this month was acquitted of a murder charge in connection with the 2017 death of a teenage ISIS fighter in Iraq. Jurors did find him guilty of posing for a photo with a casualty, a crime that carries a maximum prison sentence of four months.
Three lieutenants – George O. Hageman, Brian P. John, and Scott I. McDonald – and a female officer whose name and rank were not released by the Navy received Navy Achievement Medals for "superb results" and "expert litigation" just eight days after Gallagher was found not guilty.
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