By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com
Any denizen of Washington, or observers of the goings on inside the Beltway can’t be too shocked to see high-profile people flip their stance on important issues in exchange for a high-profile law enforcement job.
Chuck Canterbury, national president of the influential Fraternal Order of Police, had previously made it clear that he opposed a sentencing reform bill.
But that’s all changed now that President Donald Trump, who backs the bill, is considering Canterbury to head up ATF, according to Politico, which reports:
Opponents of bipartisan legislation to overhaul federal sentencing guidelines were surprised to see Chuck Canterbury, the head of the influential Fraternal Order of Police, standing beside Trump on Wednesday at an event celebrating the proposed measure. The police group, which Canterbury has headed for more than a decade, had previously opposed the legislation.
It was an unusual move for the law enforcement veteran, who enthusiastically testified at last year’s Senate confirmation hearing on behalf of Jeff Sessions, Trump’s recently dismissed attorney general and a high-profile opponent of the criminal justice reform legislation. Canterbury’s group said in a statement ahead of the president’s endorsement that the First Step Act would boost safety “in our streets and neighborhoods” and better protect police.
Not so surprising that ambition Trumps people’s convictions or lack of.
