Caribbean American legislators on Friday said “no one is above the law” as they commented on the decision by a New York grand jury to indict former United States President, Donald J. Trump, for his alleged role in a hush money payment scheme and cover-up involving adult film star Stormy Daniels that dates back to the 2016 presidential election.
US Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that it is “a sad but significant day in America’s history.
“Our nation’s judicial system was founded upon the belief that everyone deserves due process and equal protection under the law, but no one, including a former president, is above the law.
“Mr. Trump’s indictment is a testament to the fact that every American should be treated fairly and equally under the laws of the United States,” said Clarke, the representative for the predominantly Caribbean 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York.
“As this process continues to develop, I believe the American people will see that the core values of our democracy still stand true.”
New York City Public Advocate, Jumaane Williams, the son of Grenadian immigrants, told CMC “this is not a day of triumph, except for the rule of law which governs all of us, including disgraced former presidents.
“I commend Manhattan District Attorney Bragg for courageously leading a thorough investigation to this point. Donald Trump must be held accountable, not only for the financial charges he’s been indicted on today but for his efforts to undermine our democracy, which are still under investigation and which still reverberate dangerously throughout our country.
“We will now undoubtedly see conservative hypocrisy, lies, and dangerous rhetoric as some put not only party but person, over the well-being of our country and the people within it,” Williams added.
He said the indictment is part of a process that will continue to move forward, uninhibited by the former president’s attacks or incitements to action, and unwavering in a commitment to justice for the unprecedented conduct of Trump in his efforts to grab and hold onto power and relevance at the expense of all.
New York State Assemblywoman, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, who represents the 42nd Assembly District in Brooklyn, noted that “for the first time in the history of the United States, a President (past or current) is facing criminal charges.
“We don’t take solace in this blemished record added to our great nation’s history, but we are pleased to see Donald Trump finally facing consequences for his despicable actions,” the chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party told CMC.
CMC/
