Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in the state, appointed a supporter of a convicted murderer and extremist to the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons earlier this year.
Celeste Trusty received Fetterman’s nod as secretary of the state board in January, according to the Harrisburg Patriot-News.
The political operative has expressed her “love” and support for convicted cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal, referring to him as her “buddy” in a 2018 tweet.
i love mumia! he’s my buddy, also ❤️ he’s like an uncle to a bunch of my friends who were on the row with him. yup – philly is exceptionally bad. well…was. at least we have a good da now!
ugh alabama. so many southern states are terrible with cj issues.— celeste (@celeste_trusty) May 23, 2018
Trusty even recounted sending Abu-Jamal a birthday message as she urged a prosecutor to review his case.
i sent mumia a birthday message this morning! i really hope the krasner dao will take mumia’s case more seriously than previous phila dao administrations. #freemumia
— celeste (@celeste_trusty) April 25, 2018
The left has lionized Abu-Jamal since he received a death sentence for the fatal shooting of a Philadelphia police officer in 1981.
Is this disqualifying for Fetterman?
In 2011, the state agreed to convert his death sentence to life in prison.
The widow of slain officer Daniel Faulkner has sharply criticized efforts to make a martyr of the convicted murderer, according to Fox News.
Abu-Jamal was a founding member of the Philadelphia Black Panther Party, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.
At the time, the organization embraced the use of violence with the ultimate plan to “overthrow the U.S. government,” according to FBI records.
As secretary of the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, Trusty is responsible for “coordinating the daily operations of the Board of Pardons office and its dedicated team, as well as providing support, information, and advice to the Chair of the Board and Board members.”
Fetterman himself has indicated that releasing one-third of the state’s prison population “would not make anyone less safe in Pennsylvania.”
The Democrat proudly touts his work as chairman of Pennsylvania’s Board of Pardons on his campaign website.
“Under John’s tenure, the Board has recommended more applicants for commutation than under any lieutenant governor in decades,” the site says.
