Page 7 - Pardon Process News Today

Its not every day that either one of you deal with clients who have the opportunity to perhaps get a pardon in order to deal with their situation. but danny, let me start with you. first of all, havyou everence w perhaps had an access to a pardike this? and if not, what do you make of trying to sendnal lik this. >> no, i have never dealt with a pardon. most of my colleagues never dealt with a pardon. the pardon process is so distinct from the criminal justice system that i cant think of a single...

By republican leaders. >> thank you, wolf, for your question. as many americans now know, the president just makes stuff up. and in this case, theres no evidence that there was a spy put into the trump campaign. but there is a lot of evidence that what the fbi did is they ran a counterintelligence operation because they were so freaked out by what some campaign associates were doing with their interactions with russia. the republicans and democrats looked at this and said it was appropriate what...

The president tweeted saying he has the absolute right to pardon himself. his willingness to ignore justice department guidelines on issuing pardons has democrats worried hell use it to help allies caught up in the investigation into russian meddling in the election in 2017. >> unfortunately the president has perverted the pardon process. now it seems like hes pardoning people based on their celebrity status or because a celebrity talked to him. >> reporter: as he did when he pardoned joe arpiao...

And to vinunfortunately, the prt has perverted the pardon process and now hes pardoning people on their celebrity status or because a celebrity talked to him. in this case, its clear that the only reason trump pardoned ms. johnson is because kim kardashian talked to president trump about this case. it shouldnt be based on which celebrities have access to the president. it should be based on a process, and i urge the president to go back to the same process all previous presidents have used. >> s...

That come down the pike, hallie. >> kristen welker ill know youll be reporting that. what do you make of this? >> certainly weve been hearing a lot of talk about pardons and the president has been enamored by that authority. its one of the parts of the job he likes do. >> its one of his things can he did with no restrictions on it. >> its a sweeping thing rare showy thing but at thame time none of the pardons that have madero have come through the normal pardon process. the eagles coach by the...

And maybe holder says hes concerned with the presidents recent pardons. in regards to that. "the new york times" wrote by choosing to pardon the political sporters whose cases largely failed to meet the basic guidelines for pardons, mr. trump could turn a slow and imperfect system into an unequal and unjust one. in which those with fame money or access to the presidents ear are first in line to receive clemency. is there anything, mimi, that that committee or anyone else in congress can do to li...

Out of jail to campaign for him. so to suggest that hes actually applying justice in these cases is simply wrong. its clear for anyone to see. and i do think that the pardon process is problematic. i dont think anyone is suggesting that the president should never step around it and pardon who he sees fit. the problem is trump is not applying a just lens here. >> john, your thoughts on scaramuccis explanation, does it pass the smell test for you? >> not at all. look at the people hes pardoned. jo...

A little more tolerant. >> the president is very blatantly flouting the existing pardon process. there is a robust pardon process. >> absolutely. >> at the justice department. there has been for a long time. presidents dont have to follow that process. what im wondering, though, is obviously that process was set up in order to make sure that the pardon power wasnt abused, that people can access it fairly and without disproportionate or inappropriate favor. when trump stops using that system and ...

>> has there ever been a circumstance in which a president is thought to have pardoned someone specifically to worm his own way out of his own legal liability? >> aside from nixon, theres not been as large a case as that. >> okay. >> and i think what donald trump is trying to do is, you know, hes pardoning celebrities like martha stewart or rod blagojevich as an illinoisian, i find that one a little bit strange -- >> if you start pardoning illinois governors -- >> where you are going to stop in ...

Period." any thoughts on that? >> yeah. i mean look it doesnt surprise me. one thing you see play out in the pardon process you have a sense from the prosecutors who try the case and obtain the conviction that a pardon is not warranted because there was no injustice here. i think prosecutors also sometimes feel and i dont necessarily know that it is the case here but they feel that pardons are issued as a way of giving out political favors. we saw that as you know at the end of the clinton admin...