Trumps Lawyer Raised Prospect of Pardons for Flynn and Manafort as Special Counsel Closed In
Source: New York Times
WASHINGTON A lawyer for President Trump broached the idea of Mr. Trump pardoning two of his former top advisers, Michael T. Flynn and Paul Manafort, with their lawyers last year, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions.
The discussions came as the special counsel was building cases against both men, and they raise questions about whether the lawyer, John Dowd, was offering pardons to influence their decisions about whether to plead guilty and cooperate in the investigation.
The talks suggest that Mr. Trumps lawyers were concerned about what Mr. Flynn and Mr. Manafort might reveal were they to cut a deal with the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, in exchange for leniency. Mr. Muellers team could investigate the prospect that Mr. Dowd made pardon offers to thwart the inquiry, although legal experts are divided about whether such offers might constitute obstruction of justice.
Mr. Dowds conversation with Mr. Flynns lawyer, Robert K. Kelner, occurred sometime after Mr. Dowd took over last summer as the presidents personal lawyer, at a time when a grand jury was hearing evidence against Mr. Flynn on a range of potential crimes. Mr. Flynn, who served as Mr. Trumps first national security adviser, agreed in late November to cooperate with the special counsels investigation. He pleaded guilty in December to lying to the F.B.I. about his conversations with the Russian ambassador and received favorable sentencing terms.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/us/politics/trump-pardon-michael-flynn-paul-manafort-john-dowd.html
OliverQ
(3,363 posts)And stupidly, the pardon power is nearly absolute.
flibbitygiblets
(7,220 posts)Also sounds like a "constitutional crisis". Imagine: A sitting president, being investigated, pardons those who refused to testify against him.
Even if all that goes unchallenged (unlikely), it doesn't stop the states from prosecuting.
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,043 posts)flibbitygiblets
(7,220 posts)were originally charged with?
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,043 posts)As a practical matter, it may be less and the court may give up and declare the testimony moot at some point.
grantcart
(53,061 posts)liability and require yet another pardon? lol
George II
(67,782 posts)Dave Starsky
(5,914 posts)So he would be hosed at the state level.
brooklynite
(94,729 posts)Gothmog
(145,562 posts)As part of his plea deal, Flynn has been interviewed and have given the Mueller team every fact that he has on trump. If pardoned, Flynn would still have to testify and the facts given in the interviews would be used if Flynn is not cooperative
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,856 posts)"If you promise not to tell Mueller what I did, I'll pardon you later. If you do tell him what I did, I won't pardon you and you'll go to prison."
grantcart
(53,061 posts)Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)and what we can glean from it. We have two key Person's facing Treason Charges. If the Republicans and Trump think they can Pardon their way out of that,their Party will be DOA.
The last time I recall Treason being charged was the Rosenberg's. Others have been charged with giving info to a Hostile Power but never Treason.
Cosmocat
(14,573 posts)I missed these filings, can you link them?
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)If you have the time,there are some thirty pages of filings,principally focused on Gates,you will notice the connection to Manafort.
Botany
(70,582 posts)Flynn has pleaded guilty and Manafort's #1 man, Gates is singing like a bird.
Gothmog
(145,562 posts)dreamland
(964 posts)To pardon them means they are guilty. You can't pardon someone who is not guilty. Can treason be pardon?