1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

There is a troubling message in the pardons that President Donald Trump issued last week to dozens of his allies who used lies, threats and intimidation tactics to block the accurate results of the 2020 presidential election. It’s clear, too, in the pardons he issued for those who took part in the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. This president believes that there is one justice system for those who do Trump’s bidding and another for the rest of us. This double standard can be seen in the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and in Justice Department activities that effectively trample on the Constitution almost daily. They give a bright green light to anyone looking to disrupt, attack or otherwise undermine free and fair elections in the future. In Michigan, several people have already gotten the message. In the past month, two statewide Republican candidates — one seeking the nomination for governor, the other for U.S. Senate — have repeated and amplified the president’s lies about the 2020 election. Nearly two dozen state Republican lawmakers last week asked Trump’s Justice Department to take over the administration of our state’s elections, citing misinformation and conspiracy theories. This is a dangerous path. We know what happens when election lies and conspiracy theories run rampant: They turn into real, violent threats against the professional election administrators and other state and local officials who work every day to secure our democracy. They also disenchant people and cause them to skip voting altogether. You're not doing enough to protect our democracy when it's needed most.