Casten, Conforti strongly disagree on presidential immunity ruling

Democratic U.S. Rep. Sean Casten of Downers Grove and 6th District Republican challenger Niki Conforti of Glen Ellyn have dramatically different opinions about the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that former presidents have some immunity from prosecution.

Casten criticized the court’s controversial decision during a joint candidate interview with the Daily Herald. Conforti supports the ruling and said presidents should be shielded from prosecution for official acts.

Casten and Conforti discussed the immunity ruling, immigration, abortion and other issues in the roughly hourlong interview. A video recording is available at dailyherald.com.

The court’s July 1 ruling came in one of the criminal cases against former president — and current Republican presidential nominee — Donald Trump for his actions following the 2020 election and his conduct during the Jan. 6 assault of the U.S. Capitol.

The Supreme Court directed the judge hearing the case to determine what parts of the indictment should proceed based on whether the actions in question were official. A superseding indictment subsequently was issued rewording the charges.

Conforti, an energy consultant who ran unopposed in March’s GOP primary, agreed with the Supreme Court’s decision. Presidents are faced with hard decisions every day, Conforti said, and Americans should believe those decisions are made “with the best interests of the country in mind.”

The threat of criminal prosecution might make presidents pause and not make the best decisions for the country, she said.

“Whatever the outcome, they should be relieved of any consequences so they can make the right decision at the time,” said Conforti, who unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination for this seat in 2022.

Casten, a former energy company executive seeking his fourth term in Congress, strongly disagreed.

He said the court’s decision will go down in history as one of its worst alongside the Dred Scott ruling, which in 1857 denied freedom to a slave living in a free state and said Black people could never be U.S. citizens.

“The idea in any country of laws that people are above the law — it violates the very fabric of our government,” said Casten, an outspoken Trump critic who won a three-way primary in March.

The ruling erodes the idea that the U.S. is a nation of laws and cheapens people’s respect for democracy, Casten said.

“If you do not believe we are a country of laws, then why should you obey the law?” he said.

Casten believes the Supreme Court has been improperly expanding its jurisdiction over the White House and Congress and said it’s past time for the legislative branch to “flex back.” He favors legislation that would restrict the court’s duties to those strictly prescribed by the Constitution, which include disputes between states, cases of maritime law, cases involving ambassadors and appellate issues as regulated by Congress.

The 6th District includes parts of Cook and DuPage counties. The last day to vote is Nov. 5.