One year ago, Army 1st Lieutenant Clint Lorance and Army Major Matthew Golsteyn were pardoned by President Donald Trump. Please take time to once again celebrate such monumental events for these American patriots and their families.
Exactly one year ago, to the hour, I was in my military prison cell when I got a call from President .@realDonaldTrump.
The President called to tell me he was giving me back my freedom.
Thank you, Mr. President, for changing my life. I’ll never forget it. #BoldLeadership
— 🇺🇸Clint Lorance (@LoranceClint) November 15, 2020
On November 15, 2019 President Trump intervened in 1LT Clint Lorance‘s case and granted him a Presidential Pardon. He was released from Leavenworth prison later that evening and reunited with family after serving more than six years of a nineteen year sentence.
Lorance never fired his rifle, but gave the order to fire to protect his soldiers after a paratrooper saw three Afghan men on a single motorcycle speeding at the Platoon’s patrol through a minefield. The Army claimed the riders were civilian casualties, but fingerprint and DNA evidence shows they left their prints and DNA on improvised explosive devices, which the prosecution did not disclose. Additionally, the prosecution did not disclose an Army Report that concluded Lorance’s platoon was being scouted for an impending attack or ambush and that at least one insurgent was killed. Nine soldiers were initially accused of murder, but given immunity and ordered to cooperate against Lorance.
UAP contacted Lorance to ask for his thoughts now that a year has passed since his pardon, to which he stated:
“I’m motivated and inspired by what the team has achieved over the past year. The partnership between UAP and the Justice for Warriors Caucus is a huge win for our troops.
As for my future, I’m almost done with my first semester of law school. It’s challenging but it’s worth it. I’m learning tactics to defend our troops and our police against politically charged prosecutions.
I plan to run for Congress after law school is complete and join in the fight for our defenders by creating laws that protect them. What keeps me going is knowing that military justice reform is going to happen; it’s just a matter of when. We’ve got a movement now.”
At the end of 2018, Major Matthew Golsteyn, a highly decorated Army Special Forces officer, was charged with premeditated murder of a Taliban bomb-maker, who is known to be responsible for the deaths of at least two U.S. Marines in Marjah, despite the prior conclusion of an Army Board of Inquiry that no clear evidence of any violation of the rules of engagement during MAJ Golsteyn’s 2010 deployment existed. A previous probe into Golsteyn’s actions was closed.
On November 15, 2019, President Trump also intervened in the case and used his Executive Clemency powers to pardon MAJ Golsteyn.
UAP continues to support MAJ Golsteyn in his fight to have his Special Forces tab restored and his Distinguished Service Cross medal (that the Army had already approved) presented.
