{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-condemns-bidens-commutation-peltiers-sentence", "Johnson Condemns Biden\u2019s Commutation of Peltier\u2019s Sentence", "2025-01-20", "2025", "2025-01", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Dusty Johnson", "J000301", "dustyjohnson.house.gov", "dustyjohnson", "https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "January 20, 2025\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after President Biden announced a commutation of Leonard Peltier\u2019s sentence:\n\nThis commutation was another unfortunate mistake by the Biden Administration, and I asked the White House not to do this. Leonard Peltier was convicted of killing two federal law enforcement officers. More than twenty federal judges and Biden\u2019s own FBI Director agree\u2014Peltier\u2019s convictions and sentence must stand. The denials of parole are further evidence that pardoning Peltier\u2019s sentence is simply a bad decision. Protecting Americans and law enforcement officers should be of utmost importance.\n\nBackground:\n\nIn June 1975, Leonard Peltier murdered two federal law enforcement officers.\n\nIn 1977, Peltier was found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison.\n\nPeltier has made numerous appeals and sought parole or commutation of his sentence, which have all been denied.\n\nIn 2016, Peltier\u2019s representatives petitioned then President Barack Obama for clemency and release. Obama did not grant the petition.\n\nIn 2022, the Department of Justice denied another petition for a commutation of Peltier\u2019s sentence.\n\nIn July 2024, the U.S. Parole Commission denied Peltier\u2019s request for parole. FBI Director Christopher Wray sent a letter to the commission, urging a denial of Peltier\u2019s request.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T23:38:47Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases/johnson-condemns-bidens-commutation-peltiers-sentence"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3354190159589052, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}