Dear President Obama: Release Pollard

Yet another letter winds up on the president's desk:

January 28, 2011

The Honorable Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500-0001

Dear Mr. President:

I was Counsel to the President in 1993-94. Along with Deputy Attorney General Philip Heymann, who has written to you regarding Jonathan Pollard, I also extensively reviewed the Pollard file while I served in the White House. I write this letter to state that I fully share the view expressed by Professor Heymann – as well as the other distinguished former public officials who have written to you – that the time has come for Jonathan Pollard’s sentence to be commuted.

I will not repeat the cogent reasons set forth in Professor Heymann’s letter except to say that I too believe that Jonathan Pollard has been appropriately punished for his conduct and that a failure at this time to commute his sentence would not serve the course of justice; indeed, I respectfully believe, it would be a miscarriage of justice.
Sincerely,

Bernard W. Nussbaum

The people who have reviewed the Pollard file have confirmed what I have been claiming on this blog for years: that the continued incarceration of Jonathan Pollard is a miscarriage of justice. Now that the issue at hand is so clear, what is President Obama waiting for?

Former Deputy Attorney General Philip B. Heymann to Obama: Release Pollard

The pile of letters on the president's desk gets higher and higher:

25 January 2011

The Honorable Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington DC 20500-0001

Dear Mr. President:

Having reviewed the Pollard file at length as Deputy Attorney General in 1993-1994, I enthusiastically join the many distinguished others who are now urging you to commute the sentence of Jonathan Pollard. Like Jim Woolsey and Dennis DeConcini, I know the record thoroughly and fully share their conclusions. Like Secretary of State George Shultz, I particularly admire the precise statement of the issues by former Attorney General Mukasey.

Pollard’s conviction was justified but his sentence was entirely out-of-line with others engaging in similar behavior and it was made less-than-legitimate by a treacherous recommendation of the then Secretary of Defense. There is no evidence that Pollard intended to harm the United States or help its enemies. Having already served a severe sentence; Pollard is now supported by political and religious leaders across the political spectrum in seeking a commutation. I join them with deep conviction as to the justice of their shared cause.

Sincerely,
Philip B. Heymann

This letter is particularly interesting in that it calls Caspar Weinberger's recommendation to incarcerate Pollard for life as "treacherous".