Rep. Eli Crane co-sponsored a bill to transfer the Secret Service's non-protective responsibilities to the FBI, aiming to sharpen the agency's focus on protection (Arizona Republic, 12/7/24).
Crane stated that recent Secret Service failures showed the need for reform, expressing pride in supporting legislation to fix the issue (Arizona Republic, 12/7/24).
The reform bill received public praise from Rep. Matt Gaetz, who called it "very sound legislation" (Arizona Republic, 12/7/24).
Crane expressed concern over the treatment of some January 6 defendants, stating that political optics led to the mistreatment of many individuals, though he supported holding lawbreakers accountable (Arizona Daily Star, 1/6/25).
He also supported the idea of case-by-case pardons for January 6 rioters if Trump were to pursue them (Arizona Daily Star, 1/6/25).
Potential vulnerability: Crane's support for pardoning some January 6 rioters could be used by opponents to question his stance on law enforcement and democratic principles.
December 2024: Eli Crane Co-Sponsored Bill To Transfer Secret Service Powers To FBI According to Arizona Republic, "Reps. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., and Cory Mills, R-Fla., co-sponsored the bill, which would 'transfer non-protective responsibilities' from the Secret Service to the FBI." [Arizona Republic (Phoenix), 12/7/24]
December 2024: Eli Crane Said Secret Service Should Focus On Protection According to Arizona Republic, "Crane said, 'The Secret Service should have a singular focus on protection. Many failures have been exposed over the last six months and I'm proud to join Rep. Biggs in introducing legislation that seeks to fix one of them.'" [Arizona Republic (Phoenix), 12/7/24]
December 2024: Eli Crane Received Praise From Matt Gaetz For Secret Service Reform Bill According to Arizona Republic, "'Very sound legislation... Good Work Biggs & Crane!' wrote Gaetz on the social-media platform X." [Arizona Republic (Phoenix), 12/7/24]
Crane Stated Some Jan. 6 Defendants Were Mistreated (2025) According to Arizona Daily Star (Tucson), '"I know that there were people that broke the law that day," Crane said. "And people that should be held accountable, for breaking the law that day. But I also believe, because of the optics and the politics that went into that day, I do believe that many of those individuals got mistreated."' [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson), 1/6/25]
Crane Supported Pardons For Rioters On A Case-By-Case Basis In 2025 According to Arizona Daily Star (Tucson), 'Crane said he would support Trump pardoning individuals on a case-by-case basis.' [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson), 1/6/25]