Donaldson: 'Torture Memo' Writers 'Should Be Held Accountable In the Court of Law'

Those who “devised” what ABC called “torture memos” and the “methods” they defined, retired ABC News correspondent Sam Donaldson contended on Sunday's This Week, “should be held responsible” and so “should be held accountable in the court of law.” Donaldson allowed that “people who thought they were following the law as outlined” should not be punished, but:

The people who devised these methods and devised these memos, if, in fact, they knew that they were just trying to find cover, just trying to find a way to get around American values and American law and the American Constitution, I think they should be held responsible. I think they should be brought in and if President Obama wants to pardon them as one President pardoned a former President, then let him do so, but they should be held accountable in the court of law.

From the April 19 roundtable, with “'Torture Memos' Debate” as the on-screen heading:

SAM DONALDSON: As to the prosecutions, I agree that people who thought they were following the law as outlined, you can say, well, following orders is no excuse, this is not Nazi Germany, this is not that type of thing, they should not-

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Acting reasonably, believing they were following the law.

DONALDSON: Acting reasonably. But the people who devised these methods and devised these memos, if, in fact, they knew that they were just trying to find cover, just trying to find a way to get around American values and American law and the American Constitution, I think they should be held responsible. I think they should be brought in and if President Obama wants to pardon them as one President pardoned a former President, then let him do so, but they should be held accountable in the court of law.

PEGGY NOONAN: Well, I have reservations about all this. You know, it's hard for me to look at a great nation issuing these documents and sending them out to the world and thinking, oh, much good will come of that. Sometimes in life you want to just keep walking. History has changed. It does change. We have a new administration, a new way. Sometimes I think just keep walking. Don't always be issuing papers and reports.

DONALDSON: People walk who should they be held accountable? Let people walk who may have committed a crime? I don't know they did or not-