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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: 5, Interesting) by Whoever on Monday July 24 2017, @03:08PM (9 children)
Only irrelevant to hard-line Trump supporters or people of such little imagination that they cannot see the problems this brings.
There is also significant evidence that Trump's wealth has come from the Russian Mafia (which in turn is controlled by the Russian Government). You still don't see a problem?
(Score: 5, Insightful) by digitalaudiorock on Monday July 24 2017, @04:11PM
+1000. The idea that an explanation would be needed is almost unimaginable. Even the likes of Lindsey Graham can see that. I have no clue what's going on with SN lately, and the level of right wing cool-aide apparently being doled out in bulk. I've seen multiple occasions recently where it's been suggested that the likes of McCarthyism would be a good thing. It's getting like fucking Breitbart around here FFS.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Monday July 24 2017, @04:59PM (1 child)
The link in the chain that is by far the weakest is the link between whichever Russians have dealt with Trump's organization, and Vladimir Putin. If the Russian mob is anything like the mob elsewhere in the world, they don't work for the government as much as do their own thing with an understanding by the government about what will or will not trigger a government response.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Tuesday July 25 2017, @04:46AM
I think that you mean "like the mob in western countries". The mob in Russia is much closer to the government. It's not a simple case of the government looking the other way.
(Score: 2) by linkdude64 on Monday July 24 2017, @06:54PM (1 child)
"There is also significant evidence that Trump's wealth has come from the Russian Mafia "
[citation needed]
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Tuesday July 25 2017, @04:54AM
How childish. This isn't Wikipedia.
I'll resist the urge to post a link to LMGTFY, instead, I'll provide some reading material for you:
http://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/report-russian-mob-money-helped-build-trump-business-empire-1002228291948 [msnbc.com]
or this one:
https://newrepublic.com/article/143586/trumps-russian-laundromat-trump-tower-luxury-high-rises-dirty-money-international-crime-syndicate [newrepublic.com]
or this one:
http://www.oregonlive.com/today/index.ssf/2017/05/donald_trump_closely_tied_to_r.html [oregonlive.com]
(Score: 1) by J053 on Tuesday July 25 2017, @12:44AM
(Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday July 26 2017, @12:29AM (2 children)
You do realize that vague insinuation of a problem is not actually a problem? Perhaps the real problem here is suddenly deciding that all conversations with Russians are proof of treason. We would normally call that a "witch hunt".
(Score: 3, Informative) by Whoever on Wednesday July 26 2017, @01:49AM (1 child)
There was only a vague insinuation of a problem early on in the Watergate scandal too.
In this case, there are many financial ties between Trump and the Russian mafia, going back decades. There is a lot more than a vague insinuation of a problem.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday July 26 2017, @02:42AM
No. There were several people who got caught and arrested for breaking and entering at the very start. That's felony crime not vague insinuations. The FBI quickly became involved and figures in the Nixon administration were quickly incriminated (G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt, for example, were indicted along with the people who actually committed the break in at the Watergate complex). Perhaps you ought to look at a timeline of the subsequent events to the Watergate break in and see how quickly it fell apart for the Nixon administration. Eight months later Congress had authorized investigations of the Nixon administration over this matter. And a bit over two years later, despite considerable stonewalling, Nixon was facing certain impeachment and conviction, if he stayed on as president.