Bud Williams
Jul 23, 2017 · 1 min read

This is an interesting discssion.

The Presidents right to pardon in Article II of the Constitution, states no limit to the Power of Pardon.

Plus, it is presumed that the President is Pardoning some person for a crime they have been found guilty of. So it is hard to say the President can’t pardon an aid or staff that committed a crime. That is what Pardons do, they pardon a convicted criminal.

There is the interesting aspect of Obstruction of Justice…ergo, Pardoning a person to keep them quiet, or to protect the criminal in some way so as to Protect the President. However, the Framers were not stupid, they knew that the Power of Pardon could be used in this way, and yet, they made no limitation of the Pardon Power.

The only recourse to any objection would therefore have to come from English Common Law. Since our Justice System is based upon that one, and we carried much of it over when creating the U.S.. If there is clear evidence that under English Common Law such pardons were not allowable, then that would be strong indication that such a use of the Power of Pardon is improper.

At this time no discussion has included any reference to English Common Law limitation on the Power of Pardon, so I’m one to think that it was a very broad power under English Common Law, for even there, you are forgiving a convicted criminal with the Pardon. Even Murderers and Traitors can be Pardoned by a President. That said, it is a pretty broad power.

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