One of two brothers who U.S. Sen. John Fetterman successfully fought to free from prison will join him Tuesday at President Biden’s State of the Union address.
Dennis “Freedom” Horton and his brother, Lee, were imprisoned for nearly 28 years after being convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.
The brothers were convicted after rejecting a plea deal. They said they were unaware that the friend they gave a ride to in Philadelphia in 1993 had just committed a murder.
As lieutenant governor and chairman of the state Board of Pardons, Fetterman advocated to have the brothers’ sentences commuted, which the board recommended.
In February 2021, Gov. Tom Wolf commuted the sentences and ordered them released.
After they were released, the brothers joined Fetterman’s Senate campaign as field organizers in Philadelphia. BillyPenn.com reported that the brothers also created an anti-violence strategy they hope to implement.
Last year, the two men were targeted by Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz’s campaign, which called on Fetterman to fire the Horton brothers. Describing the Hortons as “convicted murderers,” the attacks were part of the Oz campaign’s effort to paint Fetterman as soft on crime.
In a statement Monday, Fetterman called it “an honor and privilege” to welcome Dennis Horton to Washington and to the State of the Union address.
“The incarceration of Dennis and Lee for a crime they did not commit is a stark reminder of the work we need to do to make our criminal justice system more equitable and fair, said Fetterman. “I fought for their commutations and countless others as chair of the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, and as your U.S. Senator I will continue to push for second chances for those who deserve them. We should not be a society about vengeance, we should be a society about redemption.”
Sen. Bob Casey’s office said he would not be attending the State of the Union address but did not elaborate.
