Dusty Johnson U.S. House of Representatives from South Dakota's at-large district | Official U.S. House Headshot
Dusty Johnson U.S. House of Representatives from South Dakota's at-large district | Official U.S. House Headshot
U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson expressed his disapproval of President Biden's decision to commute Leonard Peltier's sentence. Johnson emphasized the gravity of Peltier's crimes and urged that his convictions remain in place.
"This commutation was another unfortunate mistake by the Biden Administration, and I asked the White House not to do this," Johnson stated. "Leonard Peltier was convicted of killing two federal law enforcement officers. More than twenty federal judges and Biden’s own FBI Director agree—Peltier’s convictions and sentence must stand. The denials of parole are further evidence that pardoning Peltier’s sentence is simply a bad decision. Protecting Americans and law enforcement officers should be of utmost importance."
Leonard Peltier was convicted in 1977 for the murder of two federal law enforcement officers, receiving two consecutive life sentences. His numerous appeals for parole or commutation have been consistently denied over the years.
In 2016, representatives for Peltier petitioned then-President Barack Obama for clemency, which was not granted. The Department of Justice also rejected a petition for commutation in 2022.
More recently, in July 2024, the U.S. Parole Commission denied another request from Peltier for parole following an appeal from FBI Director Christopher Wray who recommended against it.
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