Former President Nixon’s attorney general, John Mitchell, said “watch what we do, not what we say.” Current Attorney General Bondi has said, “Under President Trump, the Department of Justice will be unabated in our efforts to root out credible, violent threats. We will investigate organizations that pursue illegal activities, engage in political violence, violate our civil rights and commit tax or nonprofit fraud.”

That is what the Trump administration says. But what is the Trump administration doing?

Here are some examples.

On illegal activities, like drugs, the administration pardoned: Michael Harris, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and Ross Ulbricht, who had been convicted of aiding and abetting distribution of drugs over the internet, fraud with identification documents and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

On tax and nonprofit fraud, the administration pardoned: former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, who had been convicted of extortion and wire fraud, among other things; Devon Archer and Trevor Milton, each of whom had been convicted of securities fraud; Paul Walczak, who had been convicted of willful failure to pay trust fund taxes; Michele Fiore, who had been convicted of six counts of wire fraud; Michael Grimm, who pled guilty to felony tax fraud; and Scott Howard Jenkins, who had been convicted of, among other things: mail fraud, wire fraud and bribery.

On political violence, the administration pardoned the men who on Jan. 6, 2021 erected a scaffold outside of the Capitol building and chanted, “Kill [Vice President] Mike Pence”; pardoned the men who on Jan. 6, 2021 ran through the halls of Congress threatening to kill 52nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi; and urged people to call the employer of anyone, who has made rude comments about Charlie Kirk, to have them fired and has said absolutely nothing — not one word — about Fox News personality Brian Kilmeade, who suggested, on national television, that some homeless people should just be killed. In addition, President Donald Trump has suggested that the people who were convicted of breaking down the doors of the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 and assaulting police officers, should be paid reparations for those convictions.

What the Trump administration is doing, contrary to what they are saying, is giving free passes to criminal business friends and supporters of the current president.

We must make sure to follow Mitchell’s advice — watch what they do, and watch closely.

Gary Geffert, of Martinsburg