HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Pennsylvania man charged with casting two ballots in the 2020 presidential election is arguing that President Donald Trump’s sweeping pardon for allies involved in efforts to overturn the race should also cover him. Federal prosecutors say Matthew Laiss voted once in Florida and again by mail in Bucks County after moving south in August 2020. Both votes were allegedly cast for Trump.
Earlier this month, Trump issued a broad pardon to 77 individuals, including lawyers and fake electors who attempted to undo his 2020 loss. The proclamation extended “a full, complete, and unconditional pardon to all United States citizens” for conduct tied to the election, language Laiss’s attorney says must apply to his client. The defense argued it would be “absurd” for high-profile figures such as Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman to receive immunity while a lower-level offender does not.
Legal scholars say the pardon’s unusual breadth leaves room for defendants to raise such arguments, though its impact may be limited because many election-related offenses are prosecuted at the state level. Loyola Law School professor Justin Levitt noted the wording was “so broad and poorly written” that individuals accused of illegal voting might attempt to claim protection.
Federal prosecutors have not commented. A judge will determine whether the pardon shields Laiss from the charges.
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