A petition gathering momentum has already netted more than 2,700 of the 3,000 signatures its organizers aimed for, with backing from notable figures like the National Congress of Black Women’s E. Faye Williams. The petition calls on President Joe Biden to grant a full pardon to former Baltimore State’s attorney, Marilyn Mosby, who is facing 40 years in federal prison when she’s sentenced next month on fraud charges.
Petitioners claim the Department of Justice (DOJ) has sought to make an example of Mosby; a progressive prosecutor known for championing change in communities of color. According to the petition, rather than focusing on pressing issues like the Tulsa Race Massacre, DEI attacks, or hate crimes, the DOJ’s pursuit of Mosby and other elected officials has been criticized as a distraction from more significant concerns.
A federal jury in February convicted Mosby, 44, on the federal charge of making a false mortgage application when she was Baltimore City State’s attorney, relating to the purchase of a condominium in Long Boat Key, Florida. The jury acquitted her of making a false mortgage application to purchase a home in Kissimmee, Florida.
Prosecutors allege that Mosby made a false statement on an application for a $428,400 mortgage to purchase a condominium in Long Boat Key, and, as part of the application, she falsely stated that she had received a $5,000 gift from her husband for the property. The DOJ said Mosby made the false claim to secure a lower interest rate. They said her husband did not give her the $5,000; instead, she transferred $5,000 to him, and he then moved the $5,000 back to her.
Mosby’s record as a prosecutor is lauded in the petition, which highlights her groundbreaking achievements. As the youngest chief prosecutor of any major U.S. city in 2014, Mosby introduced innovative programs offering alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent drug offenders and initiated one of the nation’s few Youth and Prevention departments.
However, prosecutors also won a perjury conviction against Mosby for withdrawing funds from her retirement account, an action her supporters argued that several other Baltimore City employees also took during the pandemic without facing prosecution. Further, Mosby’s supporters say the charges against her are unjust, particularly compared to the DOJ’s typical pursuit of cases involving much more significant sums.
The petition also highlights the role of federal prosecutor Leo Wise in targeting Mosby. The petitioners’ said Wise is known for his history of profiling and pursuing Black elected officials, and his involvement in Mosby’s case is suspect. The petitions also argue that Mosby’s confrontation with the twice-impeached and four-times indicted former President Trump over potential federal agent deployments to Baltimore following George Floyd’s murder is a catalyst for the subsequent federal investigation against her.
The petition invokes Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution, which empowers the president to grant pardons. Advocates argue that it’s time for Biden to rectify perceived injustices, particularly those stemming from the previous administration’s DOJ. White House officials did not return messages this week about the matter.
