Here's a question...

jlmarta
jlmarta Posts: 7,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Non Cigar Related
Here's a question for the political scholars on this forum:

Is it within the purview of the POTUS to pardon himself/herself for any crime he/she committed either before or after being elected POTUS??

Give it some serious thought, folks. I'd like a seriously thoughtful answer to this one. 

Thanks....

Comments

  • Wylaff
    Wylaff Posts: 5,483 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2016
    No, that is why Ford had to pardon Nixon,. He couldn't do it himself.
    "Cooking isn't about struggling; It's about pleasure. It's like sǝx, with a wider variety of sauces."

    At any given time the urge to sing "In The Jungle" is just a whim away... A whim away... A whim away...
  • jlmarta
    jlmarta Posts: 7,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
    https://m.reddit.com/r/Ask_Politics/comments/1uxzbl/if_a_us_president_committed_a_crime_and_pardoned/

    Try above link if you're in the mood to do a little reading. I just stumbled across it....
  • raisindot
    raisindot Posts: 1,294 ✭✭✭
    Nope. Even though the language in the Constitution doesn't specifically prohibit a POTUS from doing so, no one could ever successfully argue that the Founding Fathers ever intended to grant the POTUS this self-pardoning power. Had such power existed, a POTUS could be convicted of a serious crime but fail to be impeached and removed from power by a deadlocked Congress, and then the POTUS could pardon himself/herself and continue to serve out his/her term. 
  • raisindot
    raisindot Posts: 1,294 ✭✭✭
    raisindot said:
    Nope. Even though the language in the Constitution doesn't specifically prohibit a POTUS from doing so, no one could ever successfully argue that the Founding Fathers ever intended to grant the POTUS this self-pardoning power. Had such power existed, a POTUS could be convicted of a serious crime by a federal court but fail to be impeached and removed from power by a deadlocked Congress, and then the POTUS could pardon himself/herself and continue to serve out his/her term. 

  • CharlieHeis
    CharlieHeis Posts: 8,969 ✭✭✭✭✭
    "Dammit!" - Hillary
  • jlmarta
    jlmarta Posts: 7,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2016
    Hmmmm. Thanks, @raisindot. 

    But how did you manage to 'quote' yourself?  I tried that one time and was told it wasn't allowed....   :)

    Anyway, I just have a feeling my question may become more in focus in the not-too-distant future....  
  • raisindot
    raisindot Posts: 1,294 ✭✭✭
    jlmarta said:
    Hmmmm. Thanks, @raisindot. 

    But how did you manage to 'quote' yourself?  I tried that one time and was told it wasn't allowed....   :)

    I have absolutely no idea. Not intentional by any means. This site has all kindsa interesting undocumented features....
  • dirtdude
    dirtdude Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭✭✭
    on a slightly different note, could Obama pardon a former secretary of state who could become the next POTUS for mishandling classified documents
    A little dirt never hurt
  • Wylaff
    Wylaff Posts: 5,483 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Unfortunately. 
    "Cooking isn't about struggling; It's about pleasure. It's like sǝx, with a wider variety of sauces."

    At any given time the urge to sing "In The Jungle" is just a whim away... A whim away... A whim away...
  • CigarPunk
    CigarPunk Posts: 826 ✭✭✭✭
    Obama can and probably will.
  • peter4jc
    peter4jc Posts: 18,098 ✭✭✭✭✭
    dirtdude said:
    on a slightly different note, could Obama pardon a former secretary of state who could become the next POTUS for mishandling classified documents
    He probably could, but one theory that's going around is this...  Hillary wins the election, Obama's Dept of Injustice throws here under the bus before she's inaugerated so she goes to prison instead of the White House, Obama declares martial law and stays in office.
    "I could've had a Mi Querida!"   Nick Bardis
  • jlmarta
    jlmarta Posts: 7,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I've run across the martial law theory once before and I wouldn't put it past the slimy son....... er, uh, ....  Ooops. Naughty me
  • dirtdude
    dirtdude Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I suppose in theory she hasn't  done anything (been charged) to be pardoned for but can they exonerate her from future charges which she surely deserves imho
    A little dirt never hurt

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