‘Squad’ member Rep. Tlaib pens op-ed doubling down on leftist proposals
National Journal politics editor Josh Kraushaar tells ‘America’s Newsroom’ the Squad are ‘true blue believers’ and not to expect them to ‘tone done’ their rhetoric.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., is backing a Manhattan district attorney candidate who favors a slew of left-wing proposals, including capping sentences at 20 years and refusing, without exceptions, to prosecute a host of lower-level offenses.
Besides Tlaib, Democratic candidate Tahanie Aboushi has received endorsements from controversial activist Linda Sarsour and Cynthia Nixon, the former "Sex and the City" actress turned New York gubernatorial candidate.
On Friday, Aboushi released a plan to "decarcerate" Manhattan partially through an "Arrest Review Unit" that would reject large swaths of potential prosecutions. Those included prostitution, theft of services, drug possession and sale, third degree burglary, petit larceny, making graffiti, and second and third degree forgery.
Under Aboushi's plan, "all other cases" would be eligible for alternatives to incarceration.
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Aboushi previously released a plan in which she stated: "Prosecution is inherently harmful. As Manhattan District Attorney, every decision I make will be aimed at reducing that harm."
It contained a pledge not to seek sentences longer than 20 years, as well as review "all old sentences" that exceed that duration. As part of that plan, she would seek "release for people whose sentences are too harsh, who pose no risk to public safety, or for people incarcerated for crimes we would no longer prosecute."
The scope of those crimes could be substantial beyond the enumerated list she offers. She outlined on Friday criteria for her arrest unit's decision-making, which would preclude, among other things, prosecution for cases where "the only witness is a police officer and no other voluntarily corroborating witnesses or evidence exist."
"The Arrest Review Unit will make a preliminary determination and if not sufficient evidence to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, if there are credibility problems with witnesses, if witnesses or complainants are not cooperative, or if there are constitutional problems with the arrest, the Unit will immediately decline the case for prosecution," the plan reads.
Aboushi also pledges not to "trespass in areas where public health or social services agencies are better able to serve the person and society." That presumably includes mental health and other services.
Her previously released plan includes support for "violence interrupters," or former gang members, who would enter communities in order to prevent violence. It's unclear how much this would replace typical policing, but she has pledged that her office would not prosecute gang conspiracy charges.
Tlaib's office did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
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Aboushi is just one of many left-leaning candidates in the Democratic primary, which is set to be decided in June when voters head to the polls.
While other candidates have reportedly surpassed her in fundraising, she has maintained a competitive edge with nearly $800,000 in the bank.
