Fox News hosts expressed concern over President Joe Biden\u2019s decision to commute the sentence of a controversial judge involved in the notorious \u201ckids for cash\u201d scandal.<\/p>\n
Michael T. Conahan, a former judge from Luzerne County, Pa., was among the 1,500 individuals who had their sentences commuted by Biden this week. Additionally, the president granted 39 pardons to non-violent offenders.<\/p>\n
Conahan, however, has garnered the most attention due to his central role in the \u201ckids for cash\u201d scheme, in which he received kickbacks from private prisons in exchange for sentencing juveniles to detention.<\/p>\n
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) criticized President Biden\u2019s decision regarding Michael Conahan, stating this week at an event that Biden got it \u201cabsolutely wrong\u201d in Conahan\u2019s case. According to the White House, Conahan met specific criteria for sentence commutation due to his placement on home confinement during the COVID pandemic. Conahan, who was convicted in 2011, had been sentenced to over 17 years in prison but is now free.<\/p>\n
Pittsburgh columnist Salena Zito appeared on Fox News Saturday morning, where she spoke with Will Cain about Michael Conahan\u2019s crime, describing it as a \u201cprofound scandal\u201d in Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n
Zito highlighted some of the devastating consequences of Conahan\u2019s actions, including the tragic suicide of a young man who was sentenced to a juvenile detention center by Conahan as part of his scheme.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis had a devastating impact on families,\u201d Zito said.<\/p>\n
\u201cConahan\u2018s actions destroyed families, including mine, and my son\u2018s death is a tragic reminder of the consequences of his abuse of power,\u201d Sandy Fonzo, the mother of the young man who took his own life, said in a statement in response to Biden\u2019s action.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo real consequences for what this individual did, to try and get money off of the lives of children,\u201d Fox co-host Carley Shimkus said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s beyond disgusting,\u201d co-host Kevin Corke added. \u201cAnd when she said vulgar, that really resonates with a lot of Pennsylvanians, but even if you\u2019re not from the keystone state and you hear about this story \u2014 and there have been some stories done on this particular case on some of the major networks, you see these crime stories and they say, here\u2019s who was so callous as to take advantage of the most vulnerable among us.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cWe\u2019re talking about children here. And to do it for money is beyond the pale.\u201d<\/p>\n
WATCH:<\/p>\n
\n@foxandfriends<\/a> co-hosts rip Joe Biden for pardoning notorious 'Kids for Cash' judge. One of the youngsters he sent to detention committed sui*ide. pic.twitter.com\/SefbnqDhZX<\/a><\/p>\n
— USA Features Media (@UsaFeatures) December 16, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n