The Obama administration said Saturday that it has officially received Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s request for a pardon, while the soldier’s lawyers work on a backup plan to have their client’s charges dismissed after President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
(FOX)- Bergdahl is the former prisoner of war accused of endangering comrades by walking off his post in 2009 in Afghanistan.
Bergdahl’s original pardon request was apparently sent Friday to President Obama through the Justice Department, and the secretary of the Army received a copy. But it was not formally requested through the military chain of command, Fox News learned.
If Obama grants the clemency request before leaving in January, Bergdahl could avert a military trial scheduled for this spring, when he will face charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.
The misbehavior charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
However, if the pardon isn’t granted, Bergdahl’s defense team plans to expand its legal strategy by filing a motion arguing Trump violated its client’s due process rights with scathing public comments about the case.