The Pardon Question

[jrthin]

Presidents have the pardon power. Those pardoned individuals and the presidents were not in cohoots with the crime the pardoned person was indicted for. Therefore, if those pardoned individuals were questioned to tell the whole truth, they would not implicate the president. In this case, if Manafort is pardoned, he'd still have to answer all of Mueller's questions, possible implicating Trump. How does this serve Trump to pardon Manafort or anyone else involved in the Russian crimes?

Could legal minds help me out here?

[unblock]

1. the pardon is most effectively used by dangling it over the accused's head.

donnie gets word to manafort or whomever and says i've got a pardon already written up for you, i'll sign it and give it to you if you keep your mouth shut.


you're right, though, pardoning someone prematurely would leave them free, indeed required, to answer questions that might implicate donnie.

which is why he won't pardon these people... yet.

[DetlefK]

2. A pardon would create legal problems for Trump:

1. Trump can pardon only for federal crimes.
2. There's a court-decision (IIRC from 1915) that accepting a pardon is an admission of guilt.
3. With this admission of guilt, the pardoned people are now vulnerable to being indicted on state-level.
4. Trump cannot pardon state-crimes.

[jrthin]

4. Thank you. nt

[bluestarone]

3. my question would be is it OBSTRUCTION for the president to even offer pardons

to anyone in his administration BEFORE any charges brought forth?

[jrthin]

5. I am getting the feeling that Mueller has trapped him. We'll see. nt

[bluestarone]

6. same feeling here

WOW WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!