Former US Navy sailor pardoned by Trump plans to sue Obama over classified information case

Mythili Sampathkumar
Updated
US President Donald Trump salutes as he walks to Air Force One prior to travelling to Newport News, Virginia, in March 2017 to visit the pre-commissioned USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
US President Donald Trump salutes as he walks to Air Force One prior to travelling to Newport News, Virginia, in March 2017 to visit the pre-commissioned USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

A Navy sailor pardoned by US president Donald Trump is planning to sue Barack Obama’s administration for improperly handling his case.

Kristian Saucier was pardoned by Mr Trump, who tweeted congratulations to the former military member for his “newly found freedom,” in March 2018 after serving a year in a federal prison for taking photos of classified areas in a nuclear submarine.

Saucier’s lawyers have alleged that Mr Obama, former FBI Director James Comey, and others in the administration treated Saucier’s case unfairly compared to the matter of Hillary Clinton using a private server for government emails while Mr Obama’s Secretary of State.

While Mr Comey testified to Congress that Ms Clinton’s use of the server was “extremely careless,” it appeared that no emails marked classified were on the private server and Ms Clinton was not charged with a crime.

Saucier appeared on Fox News and said: “They interpreted the law in my case to say it was criminal, but they didn’t prosecute [her]”.

“Hillary is still walking free,” he said.

“We’ll highlight the differences in the way Hillary Clinton was prosecuted and how my client was prosecuted,” Saucier’s lawyer Ronald Daigle said on Fox News.

Mr Daigle said Mr Saucier’s change was the result of a “two-tier justice system”.

Saucier’s legal team also discussed Ms Clinton during his 2016 trial, but ultimately to no avail. He had argued that he was used as an “example” and accused the Obama administration of political bias against him.

Mr Trump also made the connection between Saucier’s charges and Ms Clinton. In January 2018, he tweeted that “Crooked Hillary Clinton’s top aid[e], Huma Abedin, has been accused of disregarding basic security protocols,” citing FBI evidence that her laptop contained classified State Department emails as well.

“She put Classified Passwords into the hands of foreign agents. Remember sailors pictures on submarine? Jail! Deep State Justice Dept must finally act? Also on Comey & others,” Mr Trump tweeted.

Video: Trump Declares 'Absolute Right' to Pardon Himself