Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat, didn’t hold back in his criticism of Republicans in the Pennsylvania state legislature following a tragic shooting in the city that claimed the lives of five individuals and left several others injured.
Krasner made his remarks during a press conference held in the wake of the incident, expressing his frustration with the lack of comprehensive gun legislation in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
In his closing statements, Krasner stated, “Finally, I just want to say this: it is disgusting, the lack of proper gun legislation that we have in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
“It is disgusting that you can go to New Jersey and find a whole list of reasonable gun regulation that we don’t have, that you can go to Delaware and there’s almost as long a list of reasonable gun legislation that we don’t have,” he said.
The district attorney’s comments were directed at Republicans, specifically highlighting those who wore an AR-15 lapel pin, such as Representative George Santos from New York.
Progressive Philadelphia DA unleashes on Republicans after latest mass shooting: ‘Against your safety’ https://t.co/5VVdDNtq26 >><> should have unleashed on his mirror.— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) July 5, 2023
“It is time for every one of them to face the voters,” he said.
This isn’t the first time Krasner has faced criticism from Pennsylvania Republicans.
Last year, he was impeached by Republican legislators on the grounds of alleged “misbehavior in office.”
According to the November 2022 impeachment resolution, Krasner’s perceived lack of leadership was deemed a direct cause of the ongoing crisis faced by Philadelphia.
Prior to his impeachment, Krasner had been held in contempt by the state House of Representatives for failing to provide requested documents to the Select Committee on Restoring Law and Order. However, the Pennsylvania State Senate subsequently postponed the conviction hearings indefinitely.
State Representative Timothy Bonner, a Republican, accused Krasner of placing himself above the law and arbitrarily determining the validity of laws.
“A prosecutor has discretion in deciding what charges will be initially filed, but that power is not absolute, and it can be abused,” Bonner said.
These statements and the impeachment proceedings were triggered by revelations that the Philadelphia Police Department had underreported crime statistics to the FBI.
The city of Philadelphia has been grappling with a significant rise in crime since 2020, leading to concerns about public safety. The situation has contributed to the ongoing tensions between Krasner, the state legislature, and law enforcement agencies.
