Bill Nelson uses farewell address to remind colleagues ‘no one person is above the law’

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) on Wednesday reminded his colleagues that “no one person is above the law” in the executive branch in his Senate farewell speech. 

“We as senators have been given unique responsibility to provide advice and consent to the executive branch, and we must take this charge seriously and with independence from another branch,” Nelson said during the address.

“We must uphold rule of law, and in doing so, we must affirm that no one person is above the law,” he added. 

Nelson’s comments came on the same day that President Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen was sentenced to three years in federal prison stemming from eight federal charges Cohen pleaded guilty to in August, including campaign finance violations tied to a scheme to pay off two women alleging 2006 affairs with Trump.

Federal prosecutors in a legal filing last week, appearing to refer to Trump as “Individual-1,” said Trump directed Cohen to make the illegal payments. 

Nelson was defeated by Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) last month in a nationally-watched Senate race that triggered two recounts and a series of bitter legal battles. 

“There are a great many challenges that our country faces and I call upon all of those of you who serve in this Senate to act with moral courage when these obligations come calling in the future,” Nelson said. “As I depart, I’m putting my trust in you. I trust you to work on behalf of the countless numbers who do not have a voice in this chamber.”