Former Navy sailor Kristian Saucier has announced plans to sue former President Barack Obama and his Justice Department — including former FBI Director James Comey — for punishing him harshly while taking it easy on then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Saucier admitted to taking photos of a classified section of the submarine he was assigned to, but maintains that his intent was only to show family members and friends what he did every day. He was pardoned in March by President Donald Trump after serving a year in federal prison. However, he claims that the way he was treated in contrast to Clinton represents unequal protection under the law.
Ronald Daigle, the attorney representing Saucier, said that he notified the DOJ of the pending lawsuit in December and intends to file it as soon as the mandatory six-month waiting period lapses. Daigle explained the meat of the suit, saying, “We’ll highlight the differences in the way Hillary Clinton was prosecuted and how my client was prosecuted. We’re seeking to cast a light on this to show that there’s a two-tier justice system and we want it to be corrected.” (RELATED: Pardoned Sailor Kristian Saucier Says Obama DOJ Used Him As A Hillary ‘Scapegoat’)
Saucier told Fox News that under normal circumstances, a case like his would have been handled by military courts. He also claimed that there were two others on his ship who had taken similar photos and were not subjected to the same level of scrutiny. “They used me as an example,” he said, “because of [the backlash over] Hillary Clinton.”
Saucier is filing the suit to bring attention to the double standard, he says, but also to help get his life back. The felony conviction hampered his ability to find work, and created a financial strain on his family. Cars were repossessed, and the home where Saucier lived with his wife and their daughter went into foreclosure.
In spite of it all, Saucier says he is grateful for the pardon and is hopeful for the future. He said, “With a pardon there’s no magic wand that that gets waved and makes everything right. But I try to stay positive and look forward.”