No plea deal for 9/11 terrorists: NY Rep. Michael Lawler and 32 House colleagues urge Biden
A bipartisan group of House Representatives are demanding the Biden administration abandon a potential plea deal for the accused 9/11 terrorists, which would spare the death penalty for alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other defendants.
“If true, this would be a grave miscarriage of justice, especially for the families of the 2,977 innocent civilians and first responders we lost that fateful day,” the NY lawmakers said in an Aug. 23 letter to President Biden, a copy of which was obtained by The Post.
GOP Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY), who drafted the note, was joined by Democrat Rep. Pat Rylan and 32 other Republican members of Congress, including Reps. Elise Stefanik, Nicole Malliotakis, Nick Langworthy, Andrew Garbarino, Anthony D’Esposito, Claudia Tenney and Nick Lalota.
“We owe it to the victims and their families to deliver justice – and that should mean the death penalty for these murderers. We urge your Administration not to enter into any pre-trial agreements which would remove the possibility of the death penalty and to work to conclude this process to see justice meted out on those who have committed these evil acts,” the letter stated.
“As we approach the 22nd anniversary of September 11th, it is both outrageous and deeply disappointing that the Biden administration would even consider negotiating a plea deal with the masterminds of the worst terrorist attack in our nation’s history. They must immediately cease any plea deal negotiations, especially if it doesn’t include the death penalty,” said Lawler.
The Pentagon recently sent a letter to families of the 9/11 victims explaining deals are being considered in which the five men would “accept criminal responsibility for their actions and plead guilty….in exchange for not receiving the death penalty.”
The prosecution of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others held at the US detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been troubled by repeated delays and legal disputes, especially over the legal ramifications of the interrogation under torture that the men initially underwent while in CIA custody.
No trial date has been set.
“The Office of the Chief Prosecutor has been negotiating and is considering entering into pre-trial agreements,” the letter informed families, adding that while no plea agreement “has been finalized, and may never be finalized, it is possible that a [pre-trial agreement] in this case would remove the possibility of the death penalty.”
Some relatives of the nearly 3,000 people killed outright in the terror attacks expressed outrage over the prospect of ending the case short of a verdict.
The military prosecutors pledged to take their views into consideration and present them to the military authorities, who would make the final decision on accepting any plea agreement.
The plea negotiations have provoked a backlash from families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks and first responders, including then-city Fire Department Commissioner Tom Von Essen, who lost 343 firefighters when the World Trade Centers collapsed.
The 9/11 hearings have been on hold while military officials examine whether one of the defendants is competent to stand trial. Hearings are set to resume Sept. 18.
The White House had no immediate comment.
With Post wire services
