Posted on Aug 21, 2015
"The lawyer for a US soldier charged with desertion just slammed Donald Trump"
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From: Business Insider
SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - The lawyer for U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, the former Taliban prisoner in Afghanistan charged with desertion, on Thursday chastised U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for calling his client a "traitor."
"Sergeant Bergdahl is not charged with treason or anything like it," attorney Eugene Fidell said in a statement.
"I condemn Mr. Trump's reckless disregard for the truth. He should be ashamed of himself."
In a town hall meeting in New Hampshire on Wednesday, Trump called Bergdahl a "dirty, rotten traitor" and criticized the Obama administration for the deal that freed the soldier in a prisoner swap with the Taliban. Many prominent Republicans have called the deal irresponsible.
Trump is leading the polls among the 17 Republican candidates seeking the party's presidential nomination for the November 2016 election.
Bergdahl, who was released in 2014 after spending about five years as a prisoner of the Taliban in Afghanistan, is now stationed with Army North at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, while he awaits court martial on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.
Fidell also rejected comments made by Trump and others that as many as five U.S. soldiers died searching for Bergdahl after he walked away from his forward operating position in Afghanistan in 2009.
"The Army's prosecutors, who have the vast resources of the government at their disposal, have informed us that they will not be offering evidence that anyone died searching for my client," he said.
"Mr. Trump must stop vilifying this young man, who suffered five years of brutal captivity at the hands of the Taliban, and deserves to be judged on the basis of evidence rather than slander from someone who has never worn our country's uniform," he said.
Bergdahl is scheduled to appear at an Article 32 hearing, the Uniform Code of Military Justice equivalent of a grand jury, at Fort Sam Houston next month.
Bergdahl was charged in March with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, and could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted of the most serious count.
http://www.businessinsider.com/r-bergdahl-lawyer-slams-candidate-trump-over-traitor-comments-2015-8#ixzz3jTTMONb9
SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - The lawyer for U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, the former Taliban prisoner in Afghanistan charged with desertion, on Thursday chastised U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for calling his client a "traitor."
"Sergeant Bergdahl is not charged with treason or anything like it," attorney Eugene Fidell said in a statement.
"I condemn Mr. Trump's reckless disregard for the truth. He should be ashamed of himself."
In a town hall meeting in New Hampshire on Wednesday, Trump called Bergdahl a "dirty, rotten traitor" and criticized the Obama administration for the deal that freed the soldier in a prisoner swap with the Taliban. Many prominent Republicans have called the deal irresponsible.
Trump is leading the polls among the 17 Republican candidates seeking the party's presidential nomination for the November 2016 election.
Bergdahl, who was released in 2014 after spending about five years as a prisoner of the Taliban in Afghanistan, is now stationed with Army North at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, while he awaits court martial on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.
Fidell also rejected comments made by Trump and others that as many as five U.S. soldiers died searching for Bergdahl after he walked away from his forward operating position in Afghanistan in 2009.
"The Army's prosecutors, who have the vast resources of the government at their disposal, have informed us that they will not be offering evidence that anyone died searching for my client," he said.
"Mr. Trump must stop vilifying this young man, who suffered five years of brutal captivity at the hands of the Taliban, and deserves to be judged on the basis of evidence rather than slander from someone who has never worn our country's uniform," he said.
Bergdahl is scheduled to appear at an Article 32 hearing, the Uniform Code of Military Justice equivalent of a grand jury, at Fort Sam Houston next month.
Bergdahl was charged in March with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, and could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted of the most serious count.
http://www.businessinsider.com/r-bergdahl-lawyer-slams-candidate-trump-over-traitor-comments-2015-8#ixzz3jTTMONb9
Posted in these groups: 
Bergdahl
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Bergdahl Donald Trump
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 32
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The truth hurts.... Whether the attorney wants to recognize it or not, what Trump said was accurate.
Just because he has not been charged with treason does not mean he is not a traitor. His actions speak for themselves.
Just because he has not been charged with treason does not mean he is not a traitor. His actions speak for themselves.
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COL Jean (John) F. B.
SGT Eric LaPrarie - Well, I wouldn't say that. He is obligated to defend his client, even if he is a traitorous slug.
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Bergdahl is a traitor by definition - "a person who betrays a friend, country, principle, etc." - just because he wasn't charged with treason doesn't mean he's not a traitor - I'm surprised that a "lawyer" wouldn't be able to see this! And just because he's not convicted yet doesn't mean anything either - he may very well BE a deserter etc - it's just not yet been decided by the courts - but - it will...
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
Although there is the Dictionary definition, there is also the Constitutional definition, which Sgt Bergdahl is NOT being tried under. His Lawyer is being employed to protect his client. Mr. Trump is running for the Office to Protect & Defend the Constitution. Misusing the word Traitor, and failing to accord Sgt. Bergdahl Due Process is a "Big Deal" and the lawyer is absolutely right to call foul, regardless of whether the assessment turns out to be correct or not.
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CMSgt Mark Schubert
Constitutional definition? How is it different? "The betrayal of one's own country by waging war against it or by consciously or purposely acting to aid its enemies." - the "legal" definition is very much the same - but again, just because he's not "convicted" of it doesn't mean he's not one.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
CMSgt Mark Schubert It's not that he isn't "convicted." He isn't even "charged," with Treason. He is being charged with very specific crimes, which Treason is not one. Regardless of whether we feel his is a traitor or not, he does not meet the Constitutional definition of it. Throwing around the word when it is inaccurate makes it lose meaning.
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SSgt (Join to see)
Worry more about stuff that matters. Like say, freeing the hostages and condemning Islamic brutality? How about that? So we play semantics here and this is all this is (PC semantics too) but this what America has become because Is still means Is and it is not subjective......
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I have worn our country's uniform and I say that his "client" is a POS who should be stood before a firing squad!
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