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Donald Trump is expected to issue more than 100 presidential pardons on Tuesday, during his final hours in the White House, but he may not forgive himself or his immediate family, it was reported Monday.
White House officials say Trump has privately discussed with his advisers whether he should take the extraordinary step of granting himself a pardon. Some administration experts reportedly warned against self-pardon, arguing that it would make Trump look guilty.
On Sunday, Trump met with his son-in-law Jared Kushner, his daughter Ivanka Trump and senior advisers to draw up a long list of clemency requests, the Washington Post reported. The meeting took up much of the day. The president was personally committed to the details of each case, he said.
Some scholars believe that a self-pardon would go against the United States constitution, as it violates the basic principle that no one should be able to judge their own case. But the problem has never been proven.
The White House discussions took place in the context of an imminent Senate impeachment against Trump, following the Jan. 6 assault by a pro-Trump mob on the US Capitol building.If convicted, Trump could be disqualified for running again for the presidency in 2024.
Outside of office, Trump will also be vulnerable to prosecution by federal and state authorities for his actions in office and with respect to his business empire.
It is unclear whether Trump will act to forgive members of his inner circle. Among them is Steve Bannon, who has been accused of defrauding people who donated to a wall project on the US-Mexico border. Another possible name is Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s longtime personal attorney, who spearheaded attempts to overturn the November election result. Trump and Giuliani are said to have had a recent fight over unpaid legal bills.
CNN reported Monday that the latest batch of clemency actions were expected to feature criminal justice reform-minded pardons, as well as more controversial ones for political allies and friends. Lobbyists have been pushing for months to include their clients on Trump’s firing list.
“Everything is a transaction. He likes forgiveness because he is one-sided. And he likes to do favors for people he thinks they owe him, “a source familiar with the matter told CNN, adding that Trump wanted to help people who in turn could help him in his post-White House career.
Dr. Salomon Melgen, a prominent Palm Beach ophthalmologist who is in prison after being convicted of dozens of counts of health care fraud, is expected to be on the clemency list, CNN said.
Presidential pardons do not imply innocence, a fact that President Gerald Ford clung to in the face of enduring shame for the pardon of Richard Nixon, his predecessor who resigned in disgrace in 1974, over the Watergate scandal.
Last-minute pardons and acts of clemency are common when presidencies come to an end. Infamously, in 2001, Bill Clinton pardoned fugitive financier Marc Rich on his last day in the White House.
On Sunday, the New York Times reported intense lobbying for pardons as the Trump era draws to a close. Among the alarming details, an anonymous associate of Giuliani allegedly told a former CIA officer that a pardon “was going to cost $ 2 million.”
Participants in the Capitol riots have appealed directly, through television or through their lawyers, for Trump’s pardon. On Sunday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a key Trump ally, appealed directly to the president, telling him not to spare anyone associated with the attack.
“There are many people who urge the president to forgive the people who participated in the desecration of the Capitol, the rioters,” he told Fox Business.
“I don’t care if you went there and spread flowers on the floor. You violated the security of the Capitol. You interrupted a joint session of Congress. You tried to intimidate us all. It should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and asking for forgiveness from these people would be a mistake. I think it would destroy President Trump, and I hope we don’t go down that path. “
Trump has already granted pardons to 94 people, most to prominent figures caught in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into conspiracy with Russia. Among them are former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, longtime crony Roger Stone and former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who admitted to lying to the FBI.
US news organizations said the clemency was expected to air Tuesday on Trump’s last full day in office. Skipping the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, Trump leaves Wednesday morning to begin his post-presidency at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. His presidency ends at noon on Wednesday.
