Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump’s lawyer, says that POTUS could pardon himself in the Russia collusion affair, but that he doesn’t have the intentions to do it. The special counsel keeps investigating Russia’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election in the US and Trump’s role in all of that. The New York Times published a letter to the counsel from Mr. Trump’s lawyers, and that was when the idea of self-pardon was born.
The letter says Trump has the absolute power as US legal chief to end investigations or “even exercise his power to pardon.” According to the lawyers, POTUS couldn’t have obstructed justice because of the absolute power.
What has Rudy Giuliani said?
On ABC’s This Week programme, Rudy Giuliani was asked whether Trump could actually be able to pardon himself. Giuliani claimed that he could do that, but that “He has no intention of pardoning himself.” Trump’s head of legal team explained: “I think the political ramifications of that would be tough. Pardoning other people is one thing. Pardoning yourself is another.” Meanwhile, House Republican Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy told CNN that no president should pardon himself.
Why would Trump Pardon Himself?
This all started after the investigation conducted by special counsel Robert Mueller. He has devoted his time to finding ties between POTUS and Russian officials who allegedly helped him come into power and defeat his political opponents. Trump has mentioned several times that collusion doesn’t exist and that the investigation is a waste of time or how he calls it, a “witch hunt.”
Mr. Mueller is also investigating whether Trump was trying to criminally obstruct it, especially when he sacked ex-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and former FBI director James Comey.
Could he Actually Do it?
The problem with this issue is that nobody knows what would happen. The precedent for this thing doesn’t exist. Former president Richard Nixon was in a similar situation, but the Justice Department said that he could not pardon himself. However, this was not precluded by the Constitution, and the outcome might be different this time around.
More about the letter
John Dowd, one of Trump’s lawyers, sent the letter to Mr. Mueller and had left the team afterward. The letter was published in The New York Times in original form. It was supposed to demonstrate the superiority of the president, and it showed that he couldn’t be subpoenaed, indicted or guilty of obstruction of justice. The reason for the last is that Trump has absolute power and this would effectively mean that he would obstruct himself.
According to the Constitution, the President can “terminate the inquiry, or even exercise his power to pardon.” If Giuliani is to be trusted, the special counsel’s investigation may be “entirely illegitimate.” Meanwhile, Trump didn’t remain listless when the letter leaked, and he posted on Twitter:
“There was No Collusion with Russia (except by the Democrats). When will this very expensive Witch Hunt Hoax ever end? So bad for our Country. Is the Special Counsel/Justice Department leaking my lawyers letters to the Fake News Media? Should be looking at Dems corruption instead?”
The Investigation Continues
Robert Mueller decided to explore the issue. Mueller wants to interview the president over obstruction of justice. Trump was willing to attend the interview, but his legal team was against it, advising him that all of this could lead to charges of perjury. Giuliani told ABC: “It’s beginning to get resolved in favor of not doing it.” Mueller could try a grand jury subpoena, but Trump’s lawyers would most likely be able to block it. The entire matter could be transferred to court.
What is your take on the topic?
Source: bbc.com
