A United States Navy Seal, whose conviction for rape was overturned, was a victim of a politically charged witch hunt. Convening Authority, Rear Admiral Patrick Lorge, signed an affidavit admitting his misgivings about the case and the pressure he felt to sustain the conviction. Lorge named fear of pressure from then President Barack Obama and New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, now running for the Democrat Presidential Nomination, as adding to the political climate of the conviction. The rape conviction was overturned because of “unlawful command influence” or UCI.