From WaPo:
US Presidential pardons of the powerful and politically connected have been a bit of a joke since Nixon was pardoned by his own previously-Vice President Gerald Ford. Since then, to pick a couple of egregious examples, Bush Snr pardoned 6 people involved in the Iran-Contra scandal, and Bill Clinton pardoned some of those he was himself involved with. While Obama used the presidential pardon power slightly more constructively, as a policy tool, to reduce the length of the sentences for ~1700 non-violent drug offenders who had been subjected to particularly long mandatory sentences as a result of the War on Drugs.
The ability of a president to issue pardons has always struck me as bizarre and ridiculous.
When visiting Vanuatu recently, I was amused to read that the VP and half a dozen ministers were being indicted on corruption charges, so while the president was out of the country visiting France, the VP was acting president and took the opportunity to pardon himself and all the ministers involved in his corruption scandal. The president was not amused upon returning and finding out what had happened.
It seems to me that the American presidential pardon powers are just dumb, and the nations that have copied them are silly to do so.
How many of Trump's family and administration will end up being pardoned by Trump or Pence or Ryan? Punishment for crimes is something that applies to only the poor and weak in the US and not the rich and powerful I guess.
Trump has asked his advisers about his power to pardon aides, family members and even himself
US Presidential pardons of the powerful and politically connected have been a bit of a joke since Nixon was pardoned by his own previously-Vice President Gerald Ford. Since then, to pick a couple of egregious examples, Bush Snr pardoned 6 people involved in the Iran-Contra scandal, and Bill Clinton pardoned some of those he was himself involved with. While Obama used the presidential pardon power slightly more constructively, as a policy tool, to reduce the length of the sentences for ~1700 non-violent drug offenders who had been subjected to particularly long mandatory sentences as a result of the War on Drugs.
The ability of a president to issue pardons has always struck me as bizarre and ridiculous.
When visiting Vanuatu recently, I was amused to read that the VP and half a dozen ministers were being indicted on corruption charges, so while the president was out of the country visiting France, the VP was acting president and took the opportunity to pardon himself and all the ministers involved in his corruption scandal. The president was not amused upon returning and finding out what had happened.
It seems to me that the American presidential pardon powers are just dumb, and the nations that have copied them are silly to do so.
How many of Trump's family and administration will end up being pardoned by Trump or Pence or Ryan? Punishment for crimes is something that applies to only the poor and weak in the US and not the rich and powerful I guess.
Comment