Presidential Pardon for Convicted Former Police Sergeant
In a significant move, former President Donald Trump has granted a presidential pardon to Michael McMahon, a former New York police sergeant. McMahon was convicted for his role in assisting the Chinese government in a campaign to intimidate and harass a Chinese expatriate living in the United States.
The pardon was confirmed on Friday by a White House official speaking on condition of anonymity. McMahon, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison this spring, had maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.
The Case and the 'Campaign of Transnational Repression'
McMahon's conviction stemmed from what a federal judge described as a 'campaign of transnational repression'. He was found guilty by a jury on charges including acting as an illegal foreign agent and stalking. The case was a prominent one in US efforts to combat what authorities claim are Beijing's extensive operations to suppress critics abroad, specifically under its 'Operation Fox Hunt' initiative.
Prosecutors argued that McMahon, 58, was hired to locate a former Chinese city official named Xu Jin, who had moved with his family to suburban New Jersey in 2010. The Chinese government accused Xu and his wife of bribery, allegations the couple denied, claiming he was targeted due to internal politics within China's communist government.
Without an extradition treaty with the US, China could not legally compel Xu's return. Instead, prosecutors detailed a sustained pressure campaign that included disparaging messages to friends of Xu's daughter, letters to a relative, and a visit from his octogenarian father, who was flown from China. The situation escalated when a note was left on the family's front door, which translated to a threat concerning Xu's return to mainland China.
Reactions and Broader Implications
McMahon's lawyer, Lawrence Lustberg, hailed the pardon as correcting a 'horrible injustice'. He stated, 'I will always believe that it was the Chinese government that victimized Mike, a true hero cop, whom our government should have celebrated and honored, rather than indicted.'
The former officer received support from Republican US House members Mike Lawler of New Jersey and Pete Sessions of Texas, who had written to the court advocating for him. Lawler celebrated the pardon on social media, asserting McMahon 'never should have been prosecuted to begin with'.
The White House official justifying the pardon pointed to McMahon's claim that he was misled, believing he was working for a Chinese construction company on a straightforward private-investigator job, not for the government. The official also highlighted McMahon's record of dozens of commendations during his 14-year NYPD career, which ended due to a 2001 injury.
This clemency action is part of a series of pardons issued by Trump during his second presidency, which have been viewed by many as a broader rebuke of the justice system. The Brooklyn federal prosecutors' office that brought the case declined to comment.
McMahon was one of three men convicted in the first trial related to US claims about China's 'Operation Fox Hunt'. His co-defendants, both Chinese citizens, remain in prison. Beijing maintains that the initiative is solely aimed at repatriating fugitives, including corrupt officials, and denies allegations of making threats.
