Submitted via IRC for Bytram
Amid relentless scrutiny over possible ties between his presidential campaign and Russia, an extraordinary suggestion has emerged - that Donald Trump could pardon himself or his family.
Source: BBC News
US President Donald Trump has insisted he has the "complete power" to pardon people, amid reports he is considering presidential pardons for family members, aides and even himself.
A Democratic Party spokesman has called the reports "extremely disturbing".
The US authorities are probing possible collusion between the Trump team and Russia. Intelligence agencies think Russia tried to help Mr Trump to power.
Russia denies this, and the president says there was no collusion.
The Washington Post reported on Thursday that Mr Trump and his team were looking at ways to pardon people close to him.
Source: BBC News
(Score: 2) by tonyPick on Monday July 24 2017, @01:30PM (3 children)
Impeachment is explicitly excluded...
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2017/jul/21/4-questions-about-presidential-pardon-power/ [politifact.com]
(Score: 2) by EvilSS on Monday July 24 2017, @02:31PM
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 24 2017, @04:14PM (1 child)
"...would be allowed is that the Constitution doesn’t explicitly prohibit it."
The 10th amendment says that the government only has powers explicitly listed in the Constitution.
If there is nothing saying it is allowed then it is, by default, illegal until granted the explicit power to do so by the people through their representatives.
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Monday July 24 2017, @10:42PM
I'm sure the constitution doesn't explicitly allow to pardon anyone with name "John" either. So, bad luck if you are named "John" and hope for a presidential pardon. ;-)
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.