eau de sauvage
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I think people are missing the word "corrupt" in the heading.
I'm not talking of questionable pardons of which Clinton and Obama both did, and that Trump has also done, for example the pardoning of Arpaio which was also a questionable pardon. But none of the pardons as far as I know, by Obama, or Bush, or Clinton, were 'corruptly issued'. The Arpaio pardon was not corruptly issued and bad as it was, it is within the broad pardon powers of the President.
What is a corrupt pardon? Well this has never been tested in court because the issue has not arisen. Let's say Arpaio paid Trump for a pardon, that would be corrupt, is it illegal? That has not been tested. Maybe, maybe not.
Payment is but one form of renumeration and I doubt any President would deem it worthwhile to issue a corrupt pardon for that reason.
However, Roger Stone was pardoned corruptly because his lies were not to protect himself but to protect the president and the president telegraphed that he would reward that. Stone's testimony would have virtually forced the Senate to remove Trump. Trump signalled to Stone that he need not fear any consequences of lying or flipping because he will be pardoned, that is certainly corrupt.
So pardons that personally benefit the president are by definition corrupt but we don't know if they are illegal. Yet. Can the President pardon himself? Probably not, but again that has not been tested. The Supreme Court shot down Trump's argument that he is immune from the law, that he is above the law and cannot be prosecuted.
This is why the pardoning of Flynn and Stone and any others who lied to cover up illegal activity by the President *have* to be taken to the Supreme Court. They should be reversed because it's obvious the Framers of the Constitution did not want a King, even if Barr thinks otherwise.
Will the Supreme Court agree that the President can pardon himself, will the Supreme Court agree that the pardoning powers of the President have no limit? They might, but this has to be tested. If they do agree then so be it.
However imagine what it would mean if they did agree, it would mean that a future President can do whatever the fcuk he/she wants, without fear. Anything. Anything at all. He could murder someone and pardon himself, he could pay for a political assignation and pardon himself.
Hard to see the Supreme Court agreeing to that, although they might. But it has to be tested.
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