In the midst of widespread outrage over Donald Trump’s grace at Michael Flynn, speculation arose as to who might be at the mercy of the defeated president.
Rick Gates, Trump’s 2016 vice president of campaigning, told the New York Times that the president “knows how much we’ve suffered from those of us who worked for him, and I hope he takes that into account when and when he gives grace”.
Gates was one of many Trump aides who were convicted of former Russian adviser Robert Mueller for Russian election intervention and relations between Trump and Moscow. After pleading guilty to a financial crime and lying to investigators, he was sentenced to 45 days in prison.
Gates also told the Times that the motivation for criticizing Mueller in a recent book was “not asking for mercy; it was to find out the truth about the Russian investigation ”.
Retired General Flynn, who was fired from the Defense Intelligence Agency by Barack Obama in 2014, has become a trusted campaign replacement for Trump. However, after only 24 days of work, Trump fired him as a national security consultant because he lied to Vice President Mike Pence for liaising with Russian officials.
He pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI but was not convicted by the time Trump pardoned him on Wednesday, saying: “General Flynn wishes you a great life!”
Trump has already commuted Roger Stone’s long-term ally to more than three years in prison for obstruction, lying to Congress and witnessing intimidation.
Former campaign manager Paul Manafort is serving a seven-year prison sentence for fraud. Foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos was sentenced to 14 days in prison after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI. Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney and repairman, has been convicted of crimes, including lying to Congress and making hijacked money payments, and is spending three years at home. As he has finally turned against the president, grace seems unlikely.
Papadopoulos failed at the congress and also published a book. He told the Times, “Of course, it would be an honor to be pardoned.”
In addition to the Mueller investigation, former campaign executive and White House strategist Steve Bannon has been accused of fraud in fundraising for a border wall. Allegedly, Rudy Giuliani, the president’s attorney and election bulldog, is under investigation for a possible violation of the Lobbying Act. Trump’s fundraiser Elliott Broidy pleaded guilty to lobby charges.
In August, former federal prosecutor Patrick Cotter, who helped convict John Gotti’s mob chief, told the Guardian: .
“While previous administrations have had those who wanted to profit personally and who are willing to break the law in the service of the president’s political interests, what is unique about the Trump administration is the number of people who have a direct relationship with the president, often for years. into fraudsters for whom crime is obviously part of their lifestyle and character. “
Trump has pardoned his allies, including Joe Arpaio and Bernard Kerik, and observers think he is even trying to bring grace to himself. However, it is not clear that such a move would be possible, and if it were, it would not apply to state-level matters, such as the New York tax issue and campaign finance matters.
Trump did not acknowledge the defeat of Joe Biden, but lost the Electoral College by 306-232 and the referendum by 6-meter votes, and will leave office on January 20th. A mockery of grace is a common feature of every presidency’s dwindling days. On one day in December 2016, Barack Obama granted 78 pardons and commuted 153 federal sentences.
The Times also reported that Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and chief adviser, is leading an “ad-hoc” team with the goal of advertising up to hundreds of commutations for offenders now in prison for non-crime offenses. violent drug convictions for postal fraud and money laundering ”.
Most of these graces would be less controversial than what was offered to Flynn. However, among those campaigning for grace is Joseph Maldonado-Passage. Better known as Joe Exotic, a breeder for the documentary Netflix on Tiger King, he was sentenced to 22 years for trying to hire an assassin to kill a rival.
Flynn holds influential supporters on the political right. The editorial board of the Wall Street Journal called its pardon “due justice, which ended four years of political harassment, unjustified criminal prosecution, and judicial abuse.”
Critics pointed to Flynn’s guilty accusation and the fact that, contrary to the statement of White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, grace does not mean innocence.
Senior Democrats, including the Speaker, Nancy Pelosi; minority leader of the senate, Chuck Schumer; and the house intelligence president, Adam Schiffwere among those who condemned Flynn’s grace as an abuse of serious power.
THE beep, Former federal prosecutor Elie Honig and CNN analyst explained the facts of the case.
“Facts: Michael Flynn lied to the FBI about Russia. Flynn pleaded guilty twice. Trump tried to kill the case and granted pardon in public. Flynn cooperated with Mueller and then stopped. [Attorney general William] Barr tried to kill him [the Department of Justice’s] his own case, but the judge resisted. Trump pardoned Flynn.
