Huckabee Out
CRIMENETDAILY
Suspected cop killer's clemency haunts Huckabee
Alleged gunman's prison release brings back 2008 campaign charges
Posted: November 30, 2009
4:01 pm Eastern
By Drew Zahn
© 2011 WorldNetDaily
Mike Huckabee
Maurice Clemmons, the alleged gunman sought in the recent slaying of four Seattle-area police officers, was released from a Washington jail just six days ago, but it's his prior release from an Arkansas prison that is returning in news accounts to haunt the then-governor of the state, Mike Huckabee.
"The political future of former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee could be damaged by his role in commuting the sentence of a man who is now suspected of killing four police officers in Washington state," writes Nicholas Johnston of Bloomberg News.
"Back then, Gov. Huckabee granted clemency to a disturbing number of people, including a man named Maurice Clemmons who should have never been let out," said Larry Jegley, prosecuting attorney for Arkansas' Pulaski County. "This is the day I've been dreading for a long time."
And this isn't the first time Huckabee has been criticized for shortening prison terms.
During the 2008 presidential race, Huckabee's rival in seeking the Oval Office, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, released a television ad in the early battleground state of Iowa pointing fingers at Huckabee's record.
"Mike Huckabee? He granted 1,033 pardons and commutations, including 12 convicted murderers," the advertisement's announcer toned. "Huckabee granted more clemencies than the previous three governors combined."