Unprecedented in the history of the American presidency:
Trump has asked his advisers about his power to pardon aides, family members and even himself in connection with the probe, according to one of those people. A second person said Trump’s lawyers have been discussing the president’s pardoning powers among themselves.
The Washington Post 'breaking' headline: Trump lawyers exploring pardoning powers and ways to undercut the Russia investigation, people familiar with the effort say
Will likely weigh on USD/JPY
It hasn't hit Bloomberg nor Reuters as far as I can see ... the newspaper's page is reporting that headline only (the one I have in italics above)
OK, here we go, more:
- Some of President Trump's lawyers are exploring ways to limit or undercut special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's Russia investigation, building a case against what they allege are his conflicts of interest and discussing the president's authority to grant pardons, according to people familiar with the effort.
- Trump has asked his advisers about his power to pardon aides, family members and even himself in connection with the probe, according to one of those people.
- A second person said Trump's lawyers have been discussing the president's pardoning powers among themselves.
- Trump's legal team declined to comment on the issue. But one adviser said the president has simply expressed a curiosity in understanding the reach of his pardoning authority, as well as the limits of Mueller's investigation."This is not in the context of, 'I can't wait to pardon myself," a close adviser said.
5 comments:
Maybe Trump's power of the pardon should be curtailed because he is still on probation. This is appropriate, given that the very nature of his varied criminal offenses and those of his family of criminals was to nudge an illegitimate election in his favor.
One could argue that the presidency was never consummated.
I Am Not a Crook!
Trump is unwise to pursue this line of inquiry.
Anyone he pardons will no longer be at risk of being convicted for any crimes committed on Trump's behalf, and will therefore no longer be able to use the Fifth Amendment if called upon to testify. Anyone Trump pardons can be compelled to spill the beans about Trump himself, under oath.
In the meantime, inquiries about this -- especially about whether he can pardon himself -- merely reinforce the impression that he must be guilty of something.
Clearly the BLOTUS believes he is above the law.
If repubs in congress had integrity they would teach him he is not.
But most of them don't have the character and integrity to do so.
Our Democratic Republic is at risk.
From VOX: "...15 legal experts [were] asked...if the president has the constitutional authority to pardon himself. As it turns out, this is something of a legal gray area. The overwhelming consensus was that Trump could make a plausible legal argument that his pardoning powers extend to himself, mostly because the Constitution isn’t clear about this — and, frankly, because this is just not a situation the framers expected.
All the experts agreed about one other fact: Even if Trump does pardon himself, that would not shield him from impeachment hearings. And most believe if he did make a move like this, it would be both an admission of guilt and a potential constitutional crisis.
Post a Comment