Trump planning to pardon ex-aide Flynn: U.S. media

Everyone needs to be prepared for the eventuality that Trump will pardon every one of his buddies. That's the only way he can ensure they don't/can't/won't testify against him when he's out of office.

I'm not so knowledgeable on this, but I think the only way that could be prevented is if article 25 were invoked against him. But that would require Pence to be willing to do so, and as Trump is still hugely popular with his base, I don't see Pence suddenly deciding to anger the boss at this point, even if he's not going to be the boss soon. If he can escape unscathed from his time with Trump, it leaves him open to a presidential run in a few years.

So the reality is, Trump will be able to pardon all his buddies, we'll all watch it happen, there will be lots of anger, lots of silly justifications, and then Trump won't be president anymore.

Nero fiddled.

Expect more criminal activity, misconduct, and outright mendacity over the next two months...

It's the same as giving John Gotti pardon power...

The Crime Family protecting itself...

Trump is just soft on criminal traitors with Russia. No idea why.

Flynn should be behind bars. Like that ponce Roger Stone.

If he is Pardoned, he loses his 5th Amendment rights.

Put him on the stand and ask away.

I'm not disagreeable to this. The prosecutors recommended no jail time since Flynn cooperated in other cases. Plus he was only going to be sentenced for "up to 6 months" which isn't really much of anything.

And he's no Manafort or Stone.

I think Flynn will have to sign a deal saying if Trump gives him a pardon: he will never write a tell it all book revealing all the stupid things Trump did.

Man he better not! They are BOTH criminals and they must pay. Trump is not a legit POTUS so therefore his actions are null and void.

This wasn't unexpected. But I just want to be sure Trump doesn't pardon hlmself from anything.

In point of fact, if he pardons them, there's nothng to stop them from testifying against him later; it would actually be easier to for a judge to compel their testimony, if they are not at risk of criminal charges stemming from their time in the administration.

You make a good point.

Give him a pardon and the put him on the stand knowing that a pardon does not protect him from perjury.

I triple-dog dare you.

Strangerland: Everyone needs to be prepared for the eventuality that Trump will pardon every one of his buddies. 

They'll find themselves in court/jail in the future. It's not like they will be changing their stripes soon.

The pardon scam ... part and parcel of the worthless “And we’ll see what happens” misadministration.

What about Snowden!

Presidential pardons are a scam, get-out-of-jail free cards for a corrupted elite and their hirelings, and have no place in a true democracy where "nobody is above the law" (lol). This is another slimy rock of America's political racket together with that of the MSM fake news propaganda that the blundering iconoclast Trump turned over with malice aforethought, which is the only discernible "service" to democracy he has rendered, albeit unwittingly. Biden should put an end to the pardon scam, but instead will swiftly clean up Trump's mess so that everyone can pretend they didn't see the corruption Trump exposed.

What about Snowden!

Absolutely! But even sore loser Trump, raging and aching to avenge his humiliating defeat must realize that this ultimate FY act of revenge would be a step too far, a kick in Biden's and the Hillary Dems' tenderest spot as well as an unpalatable affront to the Deep State for which he would be made to pay a high personal price when they all come after him with their carving knives for their pound of flesh in 2021.

Lame duck pardons another turkey.

No one ever loses their Fifth Amendment rights against compelled self-incrimination. This protection always exists. These rights may be inapplicable once a person no longer is in danger of self-incrimination, but they always exist and given the intricacy of American laws it is quite likely there are other obscure statutes or rarely prosecuted code sections that will be outside the written parameters of the pardons. Therefore a pardon from Mr. Trump will not remove the right of his allies to continue to invoke the Fifth Amendment for their protection, and they do not need to specify (when invoking) what offense they think they might have violated.

A pardon never expunge your conviction

WorldTrump planning to pardon ex-aide Flynn: U.S. media

There should not be a reason for pardon, since he did nothing wrong, But if there is no other way to stop stop this ridiculous persecution, of course Trump should do it.

(And "US media" is hardly a badge of credibility these days)

Seems right.  time will tell how the FBI and other agencies exceeded their power in a ridiculous attempt to justify the Russia collusion nonsense.