Speculation that President Donald Trump might pardon Roger Stone has reached a fever pitch after Stone’s sentencing by a federal judge and the president’s repeated hints that he thinks the verdict unfair.
But fortunately, the Constitution’s framers imagined this nightmare scenario—a suspected criminal president pardoning a co-conspirator—and they put in the Constitution language to legally prohibit the pardon power in exactly this kind of case.
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Under Article II, Section II of the Constitution, the president is given the “power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.”
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But the framers knew not to place blind trust in the president to wield the power justly. That’s why they explicitly forbade a president from exercising the pardon power in “cases of impeachment.” The clause prevents the worst abuse of the pardon power: a president’s protecting cronies who have been convicted of crimes related to the president’s own wrongdoing.
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Stone was convicted on seven criminal counts centered around allegations that he had lied to Congress during his September 2017 testimony to the House Intelligence Committee as part of the Mueller investigation.
The investigation of Stone relates to the charges that the president abused power by soliciting foreign intervention into our election and that he obstructed justice in trying to hide that “high crime and misdemeanor.”
The best evidence that Stone is tied to those charges is his own self-described role as a protector of the president. “I will never roll on [Trump],” Stone declared in one of many statements.
That makes him exactly the type of person Madison had envisioned while limiting the president’s pardon power.
The big names will be fine, locals are in trouble. I have a local paper subscription even though I don’t read it much. Sort of a donation to civic accountability.
braindead Premium Member over 4 years ago
Here’s one, Winslow: #TraitorTrump.
.
Now, you’re more informed than any Trump Disciple.
Sanspareil over 4 years ago
Didn’t Winslow and Carmen work for a newspaper in Prickly City sometime back?
God particle over 4 years ago
Nobody trumps the Trump!
Darsan54 Premium Member over 4 years ago
I roll my eyes at Carmen’s disdain; what national political party and its leader dragged the phrase “Fake News” into the public lexicon?
Silly Season over 4 years ago
Speculation that President Donald Trump might pardon Roger Stone has reached a fever pitch after Stone’s sentencing by a federal judge and the president’s repeated hints that he thinks the verdict unfair.
But fortunately, the Constitution’s framers imagined this nightmare scenario—a suspected criminal president pardoning a co-conspirator—and they put in the Constitution language to legally prohibit the pardon power in exactly this kind of case.
✄
Under Article II, Section II of the Constitution, the president is given the “power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.”
✄
But the framers knew not to place blind trust in the president to wield the power justly. That’s why they explicitly forbade a president from exercising the pardon power in “cases of impeachment.” The clause prevents the worst abuse of the pardon power: a president’s protecting cronies who have been convicted of crimes related to the president’s own wrongdoing.
✄
Stone was convicted on seven criminal counts centered around allegations that he had lied to Congress during his September 2017 testimony to the House Intelligence Committee as part of the Mueller investigation.
The investigation of Stone relates to the charges that the president abused power by soliciting foreign intervention into our election and that he obstructed justice in trying to hide that “high crime and misdemeanor.”
The best evidence that Stone is tied to those charges is his own self-described role as a protector of the president. “I will never roll on [Trump],” Stone declared in one of many statements.
That makes him exactly the type of person Madison had envisioned while limiting the president’s pardon power.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/02/27/trump-pardon-roger-stone-constitution-117757
RobinHood over 4 years ago
Time to break out the Cards Against Humanity.
Bradley Walker over 4 years ago
This past week I’ve read stories from the New York Times, the Washington Post and the LA Times. Online.
It’s a real problem, how reporters will make a living when everything is online and no one will pay for content.
William Robbins Premium Member over 4 years ago
The big names will be fine, locals are in trouble. I have a local paper subscription even though I don’t read it much. Sort of a donation to civic accountability.
Cheapskate0 over 4 years ago
Today’s Mike Peters (on Comics Kingdom) – very appropriate, accurate, and actually funny!
theotherther1 over 4 years ago
Go to Citation Machine. They let you cite Twitter and Instagram posts for your scholarly research, as well as newspapers.