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Arkansas Senator Criticizes President On Pardon Of Chelsea Manning

Washington (KFSM) — Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton voiced his concerns Tuesday (Jan. 17) about President Obama’s decision to commute the prison...

Washington (KFSM) -- Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton voiced his concerns Tuesday (Jan. 17) about President Obama's decision to commute the prison sentence of former U.S. soldier, Chelsea Manning, who admitted to handing classified documents to WikiLeaks.

Cotton appeared on CNN shortly after the president's announcement.

"I am very surprised," he said. "Chelsea Manning pleaded guilty to very serious crimes, leaking highly-classified information that put at risk the lives of our troops, our diplomats, intelligence officers, and allies who have helped us around the world."

Manning was in prison serving a 35 year-sentence.

"For the president, especially a president who's made so much, recently, about the danger that WikiLeaks has posed to our national security, to commute Private Manning's sentence, I just think is very disappointing," Cotton said.

The soon-to-be-released Manning is a former intelligence analyst that went by the name of Bradley during her time in the army. While in prison, Manning has been transitioning into a woman.

Cotton feels Manning's release will make other countries less likely to help the U.S.

"When they see someone like Chelsea Manning leak highly-classified information that reveals those sources and then see our president not take seriously the criminal penalties that our military justice system has imposed on Private Manning, it will cause them to pause on whether or not they can cooperate with America and remain safe in the future," the senator said.

While Manning is now set to be released on May 17th, Cotton wishes the President would have made a difference choice.

"I wish Obama would have allowed the military justice system to proceed in due course, rather than short-circuiting the sentence 28 years before it was set to expire," he told CNN.

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