CPAC Michigan - Former Attorney General Matt Whitaker & State Rep. Graham Filler

Guys, we got a great a great topic here and we're talking about justice reform and maybe it's not a typical campaign topic But really the crux of it and I know I can get a honk out of this is can we get? Government off the little guy. Is that something you agree with honk on that? And so, you know the Trump White House has been leading on this from the start why it's common sense It's your individual liberties and it's good for the people not just for Michigan, but for America It's good for the little guy who struggled so we've got Matt Whitaker here and maybe you just want to talk about how you working in the Trump administration seeing that cut down on prosecutorial abuse and You know cut down regulations, too yeah, no, you're absolutely right and and and I think to some extent, you know, the Peace that this president has led on the most is is is common sense Justice reform and it's evidenced by the first step back, you know we I was the acting attorney general when it was when it was passed and what it did is essentially, you know, we Bad guys should be in jail and and but you know, there has to be there has to be some Rationality to the relationship between the crime and the time that people serve and and there has to also be an acknowledgment That once somebody has paid their price to society and has been rehabilitated, you know They don't they aren't stuck in and warehoused in prisons at the taxpayers expense once they've been rehabilitated So this president through the First Step Act on the on the one hand and also through his exercise of his constitutional pardon powers Which I've seen firsthand In in working on a project on in that regard I think that those two items have have pointed the way to doing some of these things in In restoring individual liberty and to making sure you know the prosecutors don't overreach that you know that they that they do what's necessary to maintain law and order because I you know, I As many of you that are here tonight, you know I am certainly aware of what's happening in our major cities and not only are you seeing what's happening in Portland or in Seattle? Where this lawlessness and this writing and looting is happening and a lack of of law enforcement and law and order But I'm also seeing you know, major city crime go up but in places like Chicago It's a you know, we we need to be very smart about how we do law enforcement how we enforce the laws Violent criminals should be locked away If for as long as necessary to protect citizens because you know One of the fundamental things that we all agree on is that every child should be able to just to sleep safely in their own bed like legend Talafaro, you know couldn't in Kansas City four-year-old that project legends named after and at the same time the average house We don't play in the front yard. And so this is what this is why we have law enforcement But at the same time, you know, we need to be smart about it And we need to make sure that again that we respect the individual liberty Yeah so one thing we want to talk about when we talk about justice reform and Matt and I both agree and I know you're gonna honk we support law enforcement a hundred percent And so honk if you do, I know you do Safe communities a stronger country a stronger communities a hundred percent, but we also support Proportional laws that don't overburden people. So is there anything else specific you saw in DC about cleaning up? Prosecutorial abuse that you want to share with everybody? Yeah I think that you know obviously the the Department of Justice has a very large prosecutorial law enforcement arm and it was an honor of a lifetime to serve and to tell Men and women of law enforcement that we had their backs and and they had our thanks and and at the same time You know this this president Obviously was very keenly aware and wanted to make sure that the Attorney General and the line prosecutors all up and down the Department of Justice You know exercise their discretion, which is very actually very, you know, it's a very broad discretion to to charge Individuals with crimes and to make sure you exercise that in a reasonable manner that didn't abuse that power I want to just tell you right now you live in a state actually you're in a district right now Which had a prosecutor who used funds that were forfeited for his own personal gain And of course, he's been removed from office, but you know, that's not a good look That's not what we want out of law enforcement and prosecutors and I know you saw some of that folks acting out of line You also live in a state in Michigan That's been a nation leader on expungement getting people a cleaned-up record so they can work So they can provide for their families so they can get housing has been a leader on civil asset forfeiture Reforms where law enforcement used to be able to just come up and sort of cut a deal on the side of a highway We won't charge you but we get your car and your money and they used it to to further sort of interest for locals That's not how the justice system works. No, it's not and civil asset forfeiture is an area I think we could still do some reforms. I think you know, it's still the system still I think has too much of a Of a bias towards the government and seizing people's property taking their money taking their assets I think should be should be there. We need to probably spend some more time legislators Especially like you need to spend more time and making sure that that balance is on the right pivot point and it isn't it isn't subject to being abused or Overreaching by prosecutors and by the police and again, I mean These are all things that if the legislature's would do their job if Congress would do their job That we could pick we could fix probably pretty easily That you could get you could get the right people in the room to explain how a system would work that doesn't infringe on people's liberties and property rights, but at the same time Takes ill-gotten gains away from criminals and it's you know, it's again it is it's not that hard But it seems like it's an area that we just need more political will to get it done Yeah, so one thing I want to tell you and you can be very proud Republicans have led and it was right at the cusp when Donald Trump got in and he really helped We've led on justice reforms because we're balanced we support law enforcement, but we support fair laws and and and not an administrative behemoth and so Republicans have led because we're balanced, you know We're talking about Amy Comey Barrett a little bit out here, too And if she gets in when she gets in what we're talking about There is common sense laws and reading of laws versus activism and that's a big that's a big difference and I know you saw that in DC a hundred percent and you know, and this is as someone that's Spent some time studying politics and political theory this is an interesting discussion between the Libertarian wing of the Republican Party and the conservative wing of the Republican Party and and I see people like Mike Lee That you know in Ted Cruz that don't necessarily agree on some of the kind of where to where to draw the line But that's you know, they're they're certainly both in the right place You don't want Dick Durbin for example to be the one to draw this line because you know I mean, it'll be a squiggly line that won't make any sense and then it'll give way too much power to unelected judges and bureaucrats instead of Maintaining the power and the people through their elected representatives Yeah, so we just want to we want to thank you it's non-traditional issue But we have a non-traditional president who's led on that and there's a lot of people who are out there Maybe they have a criminal record and they say you know what Donald Trump's in DC and he's working for me He's working to ease the administrative burden so that's a really cool thing to serve under a president like that will take an issue and Highlight it at the Super Bowl. Do you know what the first commercial was? Yeah, it was Alice Marie Johnson and Alice is a good friend of mine been working with her On on on a project to to find people that are currently incarcerated that are good and worthy receivers of the presidential partner commutation authority I'll tell you the other group and that we need to give a real shout-out to is the American Conservative Union who is putting on Who is who has been a leader for years on criminal justice reform on You know on making sure that sentencing laws make sense that you know that judges have enough discretion But not too much in the federal system and across really across the state because I mean and you know I've looked at this issue and while there are there are specific cases Where you can point to a result that that was not? The best result for that individual in that circumstance But the law demanded it or the sentencing guidelines the states is where you the significant reforms need to happen And I know that the ACU has been involved in a lot of the state's efforts to reform some of their Criminal justice laws to make sure that that they work and that again that they that they work in Balance individual liberties with you know protecting citizens from violent criminals. Yeah, this is what I hear It's so important ACU is led on this because what they said from the start is it's not we're changing the conversation It's not tough on crime versus soft on crime. It's just a smarter proportional justice system So we as Republicans are so good at saying let's cut government Let's look at every byline, but why weren't we like that in the justice system? Well now with Trump and and leading state governments like here in Michigan. We are so I'm state representative Graham filler I'm leading here in Michigan on some of the justice reforms I'm proud to work with the Trump White House and with Matt Whitaker. Did you want to say anything in closing? No the only thing I will say in closing is is it something that you said at the beginning which is which is we are not and And it cannot it can never be confused with the full throated support for the men and women of law enforcement who have a very difficult job and we didn't make sure that when they Charge somebody with a crime and that person's done the crime that they it isn't a revolving door of justice But at the same time we need to make sure that people serve long enough But not too long and that and that is that's an exercise of everybody's powers Not only the legislator and writing laws that make sense, but also making sure the executive exercises their powers Especially at the federal level but also at the state's, you know Governors have have powers of commutation and pardon oftentimes in state under state constitution so it is it is it is being smarter than maybe we have in the past where this sort of Balance of justice swings back and forth and sides accuse each other being soft on crime or tough on crime That's not what it's about. It's about protecting our children protecting our communities protecting our property But at the same time making sure that we are Rehabilitating punishing and doing all the kind of things as to why we have a criminal justice system in the first place All right, guys, you serve under a non-traditional president who's taken justice turned it into a great issue Thanks so much for having us. Let's talk for Trump and for a good justice system. Thank you so much