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07-22-2017, 03:41 PM
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He says he can, of course he says a lot of things.
A few items on this subject which is a new one, never been discussed much. With Nixon, he considered it and was advised not to.
This from the Bill Clinton era.....published in 1998
"President Clinton promised this month not to pardon himself. It's surprising to see Clinton voluntarily relinquish a legal weapon, but even more surprising that he had his hands on it in the first place. Can the president really pardon himself?
No one knows the answer. The Constitution says that the president "shall have the power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment." This sentence, like many in the Constitution, can reasonably be interpreted in several ways. And since no court has ruled on this issue--because no president has ever tried to pardon himself--it remains an open question.
The simplest interpretation is that the president can pardon any federal criminal offense, including his own, but cannot pardon an impeachment. In other words, Clinton is free to immunize himself from criminal prosecution, but has no power over Congress.
Can President Clinton Pardon Himself?
From Brian Kalt of Michigan State Law....
"There are two questions on the table. First, might Trump pardon himself? It is far too early to speculate about him facing criminal liability, but he certainly acts like someone who wouldn’t hesitate to deliver himself such a plum.
Second, if Trump did it, what would happen? This question is easier to answer. If he weren’t already on his way out of office, a self-pardon would bring nearer that day. Any prosecutor who was already pursuing him would not roll over and assume that the self-pardon was valid. Instead, the prosecutor would press forward and force the courts — and surely the Supreme Court, eventually — to decide the issue. The court could potentially rule either way. But one would hope it would rule in favor of justice and the rule of law and not in favor of unaccountable presidential plunder."
BUT consider this from Mr Kalt....
"One final thing might give him pause: A self-pardon might itself be a crime. By analogy, if a president agreed to veto legislation in exchange for a bribe, the veto would be valid, but the bribe would be a felony. Depending on the circumstances, a self-pardon might similarly be valid in its function as a pardon but felonious as an obstruction of justice."
Then this included in the report about his tweets and considering a self pardon...
"Trump’s pardon claim came after The Washington Post reported that he had inquired with his lawyers about how pardons work and speculation he is considering pardons for aides, his family, and even potentially himself.
It’s unclear if he actually could legally pardon himself. The Constitution’s presidential pardon provision does not explicitly ban the president from doing so. But Elizabeth Holtzman, a former Democratic congresswoman who served on the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate scandal, argued in a Post op-ed this month that the president pardoning himself would undermine the entire constitution."
Donald Trump Insists He Has The 'Complete Power' To Pardon, As Russia Probe Persists | HuffPost
Trump has shown very little, if any, consideration for the Constitution and thus we not be slowed once he feels backed into a corner. I have said it a number of times....he will not make it easy on the country because the country ranks well behind his own personal motives.
He and his lawyers having such discussions about pardons sure does think things you don't want to think about.....WHY is his mind in that direction ? Simply is an addition to WHY is he so wrapped up in and wanting to stop ANY investigation even though it is best for the country ??
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