Flurry of Donald Trump pardons expected before White House exit - with Tiger King star and Paul Manafort among possible picks
- The US president is said to be considering a slew of pardons and commutations, including potentially members of his family, former aides and even himself
- Such actions would test the limits of presidential pardon powers
Advocates and lawyers anticipate a flurry of clemency action from US President Donald Trump in the coming weeks that could test the limits of presidential pardon power.
Trump is said to be considering a slew of pardons and commutations before he leaves office, including potentially members of his family, former aides and even himself.
While it is not unusual for presidents to sign controversial pardons on their way out the door, Trump has made clear that he has no qualms about intervening in the cases of friends and allies whom he believes have been treated unfairly, including his former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
The list of potential candidates is long and colourful: Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, imprisoned for financial crimes as part of the Russia investigation; George Papadopoulos, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, just like Flynn; Joseph Maldonado-Passage, aka “Joe Exotic”, who starred in the Netflix series Tiger King; and former contractors convicted in a Baghdad firefight that killed more than a dozen civilians, including women and children.
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Trump, long worried about potential legal exposure after he leaves office, has expressed worry to confidants in recent weeks that he, his family or his business might be targeted by President-elect Joe Biden’s Justice Department, although Biden has made clear he will not be part of any such decisions.
Nonetheless, Trump has had informal conversations with allies about how he might be able to protect his family, though he has not taken any steps to do so.