One more on Trump’s terrible pardons

Only 25 of Trump’s almost 240 pardons and commutations were reviewed and approved by DOJ.

The rest went to Trump allies or people who paid for access to White House officials. Some of the pardons granted didn’t meet DOJ criteria or were opposed by DOJ. https://t.co/PU5eI9vasl
— Chris Lu (@ChrisLu44) January 26, 2021

Donald Trump's pardon of Stephen Bannon, who was charged with conspiring to defraud donors to a border wall fund, could increase the legal jeopardy of Bannon's three co-defendants. He could now be called to testify against them as a government witness.https://t.co/I97UdwVvSv
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 26, 2021

Lobbyists with ties to President Trump and his administration got a big boost from clients angling for last-minute pardons.https://t.co/1yOvuNvyrA
— OpenSecrets.org (@OpenSecretsDC) January 25, 2021

We are still not over Trump's pardon of Steve Bannonhttps://t.co/UbzwGRIT3g
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) January 25, 2021

Donald Trump granted an unusually large percentage of pardons and commutations late in his term. More than eight-in-ten of his total acts of clemency (84%) came in his final fiscal year in office. https://t.co/KXvcwFCsCd pic.twitter.com/adC2kQq7xc
— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) January 25, 2021

The art dealer HELLY NAHMAD bought every unit on the 51st floor of Trump Tower, paying $18M+.

When he pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling ring in 2013, he said "I will never forgive myself."

But TRUMP forgave him, pardoning him on Wednesday.https://t.co/prDG04x8Eu
— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) January 23, 2021

This is so awesome. Trump’s lawyers incompetence overwhelmed Trump’s corruption, so now pardons for Manafort etc not enough to prevent their prosecution. https://t.co/NfLIqJXCHY
— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) January 23, 2021

The White House appears to have substantially overstated how much of his 10-year sentence Mr. Braun had completed, saying he had served five years when he had only reported to prison a year ago. The White House announcement also misspelled his first name. https://t.co/if7UlNQFep
— Adam Goldman (@adamgoldmanNYT) January 23, 2021

Trump ally Matt Schlapp's lobbying firm got $750k(!) from a former Trump campaign fundraiser as it lobbied for a presidential pardon on his behalf. He didn't get one. https://t.co/7DsJqBmAPy
— Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) January 22, 2021

MEDICARE FRAUD CASE STUDY # 3 JUDITH NEGRON also of Florida. (That Trump let out of jail & terminated $87 million restitution to taxpayers) Bribes to patient "brokers" Altered patient files/therapist notes to fake treatments Signed files as though she had been in 2 places at once pic.twitter.com/4Gss1oDzWM
— Eric Lipton (@EricLiptonNYT) January 22, 2021

JUST POSTED: Fed prosecutors & FBI agents spent years– millions of $$s–building evidence against some of the most outrageous Medicare fraud cases in U.S. history. Then Trump let the convicted felons out of jail. Prosecutors are outraged. Meet them here https://t.co/sDdyHp7Lrs
— Eric Lipton (@EricLiptonNYT) January 22, 2021

Randy "Duke" Cunningham, one of the corrupt GOP congressmen who received a midnight pardon from Trump, made a BRIBE MENU for a defense contractor ON CONGRESSIONAL STATIONARY with what they had to give him to get contracts. He was also supplied with prostitutes.
— James Hohmann (@jameshohmann) January 20, 2021

So, dangling pardons worked. https://t.co/mhd60voGvQ
— Mimi Rocah (@Mimirocah1) December 24, 2020

Flashback: Trump’s Lawyer Raised Prospect of Pardons for Flynn and Manafort https://t.co/gJRBrYH9qU
— John Avlon (@JohnAvlon) December 24, 2020

There were literally the warmups. There will be many others.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) December 24, 2020

Trump plainly dangling the promise of pardons in exchange for individuals refusing to cooperate against him. We are witnessing the single most corrupt use of the pardon power in US history and a grave abuse of office that the founders expressly warned against. https://t.co/DW21rYXrLt
— Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) December 24, 2020

It’s hard to even capture how corrupt it is for the president to pardon two people literally involved in a conspiracy with said president—and whose silence kept the president from facing accountability. https://t.co/kHVAYksCSy
— Garrett M. Graff (@vermontgmg) December 24, 2020

The pace & breadth of the President's pardons to political allies is breathtaking.
In 2 days, he pardoned 4 ppl prosecuted by Mueller, 3 former Republican congressmen, his son-in-law's father and a slew of others pushed by friends & conservative activistshttps://t.co/Qvkdg3iAjc
— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) December 24, 2020

The view of one of the only people in Mueller probe who prosecutors in that case said fully cooperated https://t.co/19RtW05XQQ
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) December 24, 2020

In pardoning Stone and Manafort, Trump is holding up his end of agreements to obstruct justice and completing a crime. If the Mueller Report had stated that conclusion clearly, we might be in a different world today.
— Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) December 24, 2020

You don't get here in a day & you don't get here alone. Trump could only reach the point of believing he could take such egregious actions that so flagrantly undermine the rule of law after 4 years of Congressional Rs enabling each step on this path. @senatemajldr owns this. https://t.co/qcv9FZ76no
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) December 24, 2020

It's important to remember that a presidential pardon reduces the ability of the recipient to invoke his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination.
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) December 24, 2020

Trump’s pardons to shield Manafort and Stone – after dangling the idea to persuade them not to tell Mueller what they know about him – represent open corruption

the pardons don’t discredit the national security questions about Trump’s conduct w/Russia

the pardons affirm them
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) December 24, 2020

Of the 65 pardons and commutations that Trump granted before today, 60 went to petitioners who had a personal tie to Trump or who helped his political aims. ⁦@maggieNYT⁩ ⁦@nytmike⁩ https://t.co/Nh2SGdjug9
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) December 24, 2020

Updated pardon/commutation chart (still WIP).
Total by Trump: 65.
Breakdown:

1) Advance political agenda? 42/65
2) Personal Connection? 31/65
3) TV/TV Commentator? 12/65
4) Celebrity? 16/65

Personal or Political Connections (i.e. 1,2,3 or 4): 60/65https://t.co/gGHEUOuEGR
— Jack Goldsmith (@jacklgoldsmith) December 23, 2020

How close was Silver to getting sprung from prison by Trump clemency before the NYT story? His wife got a call the day before Trump’s last day about picking him up at Otisville. https://t.co/pcRc9eadyf
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 30, 2021

Trump pardons 1/20/21

Full list of last night’s pardons and commutations: https://t.co/ZnDrfBJQVL
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 20, 2021

Our statement:

"Even Nixon didn’t pardon his cronies on the way out. Amazingly, in his final 24 hours in office, Donald Trump found one more way to fail to live up to the ethical standard of Richard Nixon." pic.twitter.com/eTfWpEMuqX
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) January 20, 2021

With less than an hour left in office, President Trump granted one more pardon — this time to Albert Pirro Jr, the ex-husband of Judge Jeanine Pirro, who was convicted on conspiracy and tax evasion charges.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) January 20, 2021

Trump has pardoned:

His longtime political adviser (Stone)
His campaign chairman (Manafort)
His later campaign CEO (Bannon)
His campaign foreign policy adviser (Papadopoulos)
His national security adviser (Flynn)
His son-in-law’s dad
3 GOP congressmen convicted during his term
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) January 20, 2021

Trump is also expected to pardon former top fundraiser and RNC finance chair Elliott Broidy, per an official. Story about him here: https://t.co/z6xh8BtU5W
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) January 20, 2021

Trump is also expected to grant clemency to Kwame Kilpatrick, per a White House official, the former Detroit mayor.
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) January 20, 2021

Trump ended yesterday with aides convinced he wouldn't pardon Bannon. But a lot of frantic back and forth today about it. And Trump ultimately seems to have decided that a) Bannon could be useful to him in some way in the future and …
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 20, 2021

We await the list….. pic.twitter.com/Vfw2ykqW3C
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) January 20, 2021

One of the many people former President Donald Trump pardoned was a Miami investor who federal prosecutors say conspired to pay a bribe so his daughter would be admitted to USC. https://t.co/UdLekOlHrs
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 20, 2021

The list of pardons by Trump, now swelled by a last round, now includes a large chunk of the most high-profile political corruption prosecutions of recent years, on both the Democratic and Republican sides.
It’s astonishing to watch. https://t.co/fQNDD9pj2p
— Nick Confessore (@nickconfessore) January 20, 2021

Still waiting on Trump pardons

In a White House where almost nothing is decided until past the time originally planned and things get undone and redone repeatedly until announced, the president has gone back and forth about whether to pardon Bannon https://t.co/ce996FALK5
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 19, 2021

Reports that Cipollone and others told Trump he should not pardon himself, his family or any GOP lawmakers in a prospective manner UNLESS HE WAS PREPARED TO LIST SPECIFIC CRIMES. i.e they understand the legal vulnerability of a "blanket" pardon for any and all crimes.
— Harry Litman (@harrylitman) January 19, 2021

“Trump was warned the pardons he once hoped to bestow upon his family and even himself would place him in a legally perilous position, convey the appearance of guilt and potentially make him more vulnerable to reprisals.” https://t.co/0LRwdSdjzG
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 19, 2021

Trump has been agonizing over whether to pardon Bannon, source familiar with discussions tells CNN. Trump sees Bannon as one of the last high-profile conservatives defending him to the end. "That's in his head," source said. Bannon pardon is still not expected, we're told.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 19, 2021

A handful of rioters facing charges are pleading for a pardon with a simple argument: They went to the Capitol to support President Trump, and now it’s time for Trump to support them. https://t.co/hflAGH3nNx
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 19, 2021

Ronald Reagan granted 2 pardons that did not become public until 3 weeks after he signed them.
— Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) January 19, 2021

This stretch limo just arrived at the Fort Worth prison where “Tiger King” Joe Exotic is expected to be released if he receives a presidential pardon. pic.twitter.com/jpeAF4Nlg6
— Annie Vogeler (@AnnieVogeler_TV) January 19, 2021

Former U.S. Pardon Attorney Margaret Love says everything we think we know about pardon process is mere tradition. She says Trump can write a pardon on a napkin and hand it to the pardoned person without leaving any record of it other than the pardon itself. https://t.co/yx8qpATNeK
— Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) January 19, 2021

A sense of wariness has set in, with the president’s inner circle fearful of doing anything that could provoke a conviction in the Senate that could bar him from holding office again — and severely hurt Trump's hopes of maintaining political relevance https://t.co/AnQJMAWxKP
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) January 19, 2021

President Trump’s final wave of pardons includes non-violent offenders who have been serving life sentences for drug or fraud charges and whose names have been pushed by criminal justice reform advocates for years. https://t.co/IYgNl0S4zO
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 19, 2021

"It’s just confounding…On what theory would Trump even know of Sheldon Silver and what possible connection or rationale?” @NYGovCuomo mulls over possible pardon of convicted ex-NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

"He’s making a mockery of everything," the gov adds of Trump.
— Bernadette Hogan (@bern_hogan) January 19, 2021

Convicted former Baltimore Mayor Catherine E. Pugh is among those seeking clemency from President Donald Trump as he reportedly prepares to issue 100 pardons and sentence commutations on his final full day in office Tuesday.https://t.co/Dl1fBWcIzX
— The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) January 18, 2021

NEW: Trump prepares to offer clemency to more than 100 people in his final hours in office
By @CarolLeonnig @jdawsey1 @PostRoz https://t.co/RPaVBdX46r
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) January 18, 2021

We confirmed @kaitlancollins reporting that Trump had been asking about pardoning House GOPers and was warned against it. Also some reporting here on the intense blowback that Trump's consideration of clemency for Silver was met with by NY Republicans https://t.co/LsPNuO5nhT
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 19, 2021

More Trump pardons coming?

People are paying to influence the process.

Exclusive: In the final days before President Trump leaves office, some of his allies are collecting fees from wealthy felons to push the White House for pardons, according to documents and interviews with more than three dozen lobbyists and lawyers. https://t.co/hR8SFL4pKL
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 17, 2021

What could be less surprising than Trump grifters putting pardons up for sale in the last days.https://t.co/OaptfucsbJ
— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) January 17, 2021

An emerging market of pardons and access for cash payments has reportedly evolved in the final days of the Trump administration https://t.co/2LcmZ5I4xm
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) January 17, 2021

News: Multiple sources tell me and @jamiegangel WH House counsel Pat Cipollone and former AG Bill Barr have warned @POTUS that they do not believe he should pardon himself. @POTUS has asked about pardoning himself in recent weeks @maggieNYT first reported
— Pamela Brown (@PamelaBrownCNN) January 11, 2021

In 2001, a jury convicted Stephanie Mohr of police brutality after she sicced her police dog on a homeless man as he stood face against a wall with his hands in the air.

It didn't make the evening news, but last week, Trump pardoned her for her crime. https://t.co/SuibQD6Xwn
— Rebecca Kavanagh (@DrRJKavanagh) December 30, 2020

The complete list of Donald Trump’s pardons and commutations https://t.co/E2gynSqkey pic.twitter.com/DZe1DaZ9wC
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) December 25, 2020

This will get lost in shuffle, but Trump also pardoned a former Maryland police officer who had a horrific, and racially tinged, record of ordering her police dog to attack unarmed black & Latino men. https://t.co/oj147yDAT0
— Craig Whitlock (@CraigMWhitlock) December 24, 2020

JUST POSTED: A case study in how to get out of jail–if you are rich and have been convicted of largest Medicare fraud case in US history. Donate money to a charity. Get them to intervene with Trump. Boom. You are free. With @kenvogel & @JesseDrucker https://t.co/LBthFcQeT2
— Eric Lipton (@EricLiptonNYT) December 24, 2020

“The pardoning of convicted war criminals puts our national security at risk, is contrary to our vaunted American ideals of justice and is an affront to every honorable service member.” https://t.co/BXnXl00zMZ
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 24, 2020

Absolutely. The SSCI report makes clear that Trump lied in his written testimony to Mueller about his conversations with Stone. Stone stonewalled Mueller about those conversations, with Trump publicly cheering him on. The commutation and the pardon were the payoffs. https://t.co/A8jsk1ivfz
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) December 24, 2020

Trump is discussing pardons with advisers today but isn’t likely to publicly issue them, several officials say. Expect at least one more slate in the next 65 hours.
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) January 17, 2021

Pardons for sale.
Anyone who gives or receives money for a presidential pardon is guilty of bribery, which is a felony.

New York Times: Trump allies have collected tens of thousands of dollars from pardon seekers – CNNPolitics https://t.co/h1dRrTZmO2
— Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) January 17, 2021

Trump weighing a pardon for Steve Bannon https://t.co/1lNMu6gwiu via @politico
— Skeptical Brotha 💛🐝🌈 (@skepticalbrotha) January 18, 2021

Former Baltimore mayor Catherine Pugh, who was convicted of fraud and tax evasion in a scheme involving her children's book series, is asking Trump to commute her three year prison sentence https://t.co/I9cq2gPfcQ
— Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) January 18, 2021

Trump’s bad pardons

"A tabulation by the Harvard Law School professor Jack Goldsmith found that of the 45 pardons or commutations that Mr. Trump had granted up until Tuesday, 88 percent aided someone with a personal tie to the president or furthered his political aims.” https://t.co/iwnRVZ5X3U
— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) December 23, 2020

NEW: Trump pardoned a group of Blackwater personnel convicted of murder, the campaign aide whose actions instigated the Trump-Russia investigation and three former GOP congressmen conicted of felonies.

The rundown, w/ @joshgerstein https://t.co/zL838mCuIO
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) December 23, 2020

The Mueller-related pardons are the *least* unjust and offensive of this batch. Crook GOP Congressmen get second place. War criminals who killed civilians are the worst of the whole group.
— Elie Honig (@eliehonig) December 23, 2020

George Mason, delegate to Constitutional Convention, said in 1788 that a President should not be granted power to pardon because he might "pardon crimes which were advised by himself. It may happen, at some future day, that he will establish a monarchy, and destroy the republic."
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) December 23, 2020

There are a lot of unjust pardons, but they’re mostly just gross — liars and grifters, scumbags like Arpaio and D’Souza. But these guys are murderers — 10 men, 2 women and 2 boys, ages 9 and 11, were killed. https://t.co/JDyH3NO1gH
— Tony Fratto (@TonyFratto) December 23, 2020

Many will be wringing their hands about Papadopoulos, but in my view the pardon of the Blackwater employees is the most egregious and disgusting of @realDonaldTrump actions. This was a graven war crime that resulted in the death of 17 Iraqi civilians. Shame on you Mr President. https://t.co/trGAbHu3WB
— Mark Hertling (@MarkHertling) December 23, 2020

Pardon!
"#Trump grants clemency to 20 people, including three ex-#GOP members of Congress & 2 men convicted in the Russia probe, including George Papadopoulos, a onetime campaign adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in the probe. https://t.co/U0Cex6sGcq
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) December 23, 2020

Trump pardons are coming

President Trump’s staff is so inundated with requests for pardons or commutations that a spreadsheet has been created to keep track of the requests https://t.co/2yyWGXV6tf
— CNN (@CNN) December 16, 2020

More from the story: Trump is considering pardons for more than 2 dozen people in his orbit whom he believes were targeted–or could be targeted in the future–for political ends. That's in addition to hundreds of requests from others who have approached the White House directly
— Katelyn Polantz (@kpolantz) December 16, 2020

Trump Has Discussed With Advisers Pardons for His 3 Eldest Children and Giuliani – The New York Times https://t.co/laEiqyi4UX
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 2, 2020

"One former White House official said Trump asked about self-pardons as well as pardons for his family. Trump even asked if he could issue pardons pre-emptively for things people could be charged with in the future, the former official said."https://t.co/DEmZcV1PKA
— Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) November 13, 2020

Ben Pogue, owner of a Texas construction company, provided the use of a private jet to President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign last fall. Several months later, his father received a presidential pardon. https://t.co/jzxjbEnC4e
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) October 4, 2020

Trump's announcement that he's pardoning Susan B. Anthony is met with laughter pic.twitter.com/ycIFtFtQOQ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 18, 2020

Of course, Trump would not do this unless both he and Weisselberg were guilty of numerous crimes. https://t.co/pYVy8R2YD9
— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) December 17, 2020

Trump has made it clear: we need to pass a new amendment to the Constitution, reforming and restricting the pardon powers granted to the president – so future presidents can't put their friends, cronies, relatives, and themselves above the law. My latest: https://t.co/tVE536mS4u
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) December 18, 2020

If Trump gives out corrupt pardons on his way out of the White House, that will not be the end of the storyhttps://t.co/1WUfxTjELc
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) December 19, 2020

Opinion: If Trump pardons himself, Biden should un-pardon him https://t.co/Nz7oQVzySQ
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 18, 2020

One of the people asking for legal immunity in the final weeks of the Trump administration is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. President Trump has been a supporter of MBS, even after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.https://t.co/6tVe5UYA22
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) December 21, 2020

Trump was wrong to commute Stone’s sentence

It won’t affect his poll numbers.

If you hate him like I do, you expected this.

If you support him, you think Stone should not have been charged.

Except for Romney, Republicans have not objected to it. Cowards.

On Roger Stone, worth recalling this from unredacted Mueller report.

Trump's public statements "support inference that president intended to communicate message that witnesses could be rewarded for refusing to provide testimony adverse to the President"https://t.co/cdwyRzpXwK pic.twitter.com/VKvvb1S6QV
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) July 11, 2020

"This is what corruption looks like," says Elie Honig, a former DOJ prosecutor about President Trump commuting the 40-month prison sentence of his friend Roger Stone. "It's hard to think of a more perfect example of self-dealing than that." https://t.co/S5zvEy5hEP pic.twitter.com/5XEsC3gcdL
— CNN (@CNN) July 11, 2020

This statement again attacks the jury foreperson. The judge found zero evidence she acted improperly. In fact, a juror chosen by Stone’s team to testify said the foreperson urged them to take more time to consider a charge on which most had already decided Stone was guilty. https://t.co/xJ4bLOBGoZ
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) July 11, 2020

I'm annotating the White House's extremely Trumpian statement about the Stone commutation. https://t.co/VMi9nFpuMG
— Philip Bump (@pbump) July 11, 2020

Debunking 12 lies and falsehoods from the White House's statement on Roger Stone's commutation https://t.co/RTmilcllc1 pic.twitter.com/vBghvTXHMh
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 11, 2020

The Special Counsel regulations are intended to insulate an independent prosecutor from the President and his political appointees. But if Trump and Barr can simply undo the work of the Special Counsel, the regs don’t work.

Congress must pass a new independent counsel statute.
— Daniel Goldman (@danielsgoldman) July 11, 2020

Do not forget the jurors who served honorably in this case and were attacked by the President. They sacrificed months of their lives and dealt with death threats. And now the President has undone their work, making a mockery of our lgl system. https://t.co/gE1Prn3IJ1
— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) July 11, 2020

Think about the message that Trump is sending to Russia, other foreign countries and anyone in Trump's circle who might help them interfere in / attack our election.
— Ben Rhodes (@brhodes) July 11, 2020

Stone is Trump's 36th pardon/commutation, a record low number, by far, for the modern presidency. An unusually high number of these (31/36 by my count), like Stone's, were based on a personal or political connection. Both are forms of abuse of an undoubted presidential power.
— Jack Goldsmith (@jacklgoldsmith) July 11, 2020

In @QuinnipiacPoll last Sept, 56% of Americans said they believe Trump considers himself above the law. 59% of indies & 57% of college+ whites agreed. Would a candidate who thought he had any chance of reaching any swing voters do what Trump just did for #STONE? https://t.co/apgliHZeZr
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) July 11, 2020

Any coverage of the Stone commutation must make clear-this didn’t happen just because Stone is a “friend” of Trump’s. It happened because Stone clearly could have implicated Trump & didn’t & has made very clear that he wasn’t doing so in order to get this benefit. https://t.co/eIIc4ouQzR
— Mimi Rocah (@Mimirocah1) July 11, 2020

Trump commuting Stone in exchange for Stone not rolling on Trump is of course a quid pro quo. Is it politically incorrect in these circumstances to remind people, maybe in a whisper, that the Constitution defines “Bribery” as a “high Crime,” automatically an impeachable offense?
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) July 11, 2020

.@JeffreyToobin on Trump freeing Stone: “This is the most corrupt and cronyistic act in perhaps all of recent history. Nixon at the height of Watergate never pardoned or commuted the sentences of any of the people involved in Watergate. He thought he could never get away with it”
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) July 11, 2020

I covered the Roger Stone trial gavel to gavel. It wasn’t a complicated case. It always felt larger than Roger Stone. It was about the rule of law and the importance of truth and why that matters. https://t.co/tnunPrvOtG
— Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro) July 11, 2020

Facts:

— The Trump campaign tried to coordinate with Wikileaks through Roger Stone;

— A jury convicted Stone of lying to Congress to protect the President;

— The President now commutes Stone's sentence, sparing him from prison.

Corruption and abuse of power.
— Elie Honig (@eliehonig) July 11, 2020

If you're curious what Stone did, here you go. https://t.co/PfACj1RBNR
— Philip Bump (@pbump) July 11, 2020

Paul Manafort–convicted, not in jail. Roger Stone-convicted, term commuted. Mike Flynn-confessed, not in prison. Donald Trump-serial felon, traitor, not even tried.
Attorney General Barr-actively obstructing justice on the President's behalf. We have no justice system in the US.
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) July 11, 2020

Trump's statement commuting Stone literally includes a mention of how Stone "is also well known for his outspoken support for President Donald J. Trump." It also includes a mention of the debunked theory that CNN was tipped off about Stone's arrest.
— Philip Bump (@pbump) July 11, 2020

There will be talk that Trump commuting Roger Stone's sentence will "thrill his base." But if so, that can only mean that Trump's base is thrilled by him using his power to exonerate his criminal accomplices. If that's what the claim is supposed to be, let's state it clearly.
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) July 11, 2020

A “mistake”? A mistake is like when I turn left when I meant to turn right. This is utter corrupt lawlessness. These people should be ashamed as they sit silently by while their leader tries to torch the rule of law to protect himself. https://t.co/DRMcSycPuS
— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) July 11, 2020

Michael Flynn admitted he was guilty

Trump may pardon him anyway. He belongs in jail.

Those who claim Flynn was "set up" need to answer this question: how did anything the FBI may or may not have done cause the national security advisor of the US to lie to FBI agents and lie to DOJ about his work for Turkey? #MichaelFlynn @PostOpinions https://t.co/WLiYqce8Rs
— Randall Eliason (@RDEliason) May 2, 2020

The FBI Didn’t Frame Michael Flynn. That’s Just Trump’s Excuse for a Prospective Pardon. https://t.co/Fo3qypPgXe
— Barb McQuade (@BarbMcQuade) May 2, 2020

Kellyanne Conway lies through her teeth on Fox News, claims newly released Michael Flynn documents show Flynn was "set up." This is not true. All they show is that top FBI officials knew Flynn had likely broken the law even before they interviewed him https://t.co/cnyt788opE pic.twitter.com/LSzJaTaoVl
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 1, 2020

Here are the most important facts about the case of former Trump adviser Michael Flynn, based on court filings, testimony from some of the key players, the 448-page Mueller report and analysis from respected legal experts. https://t.co/iEPMYlCMmp
— CNN (@CNN) May 1, 2020

Is Flynn victim of a political attack launched through an unconstitutional 18th century law? Or did he enter into a plea deal against the backdrop of much wider criminal behavior? The evidence still suggests the latter scenario is closer to the truth. https://t.co/d0b8aDyDh4
— David French (@DavidAFrench) May 1, 2020

“Flynn’s lawyer says new documents show that Flynn was 'set up' by the FBI. In fact, they show no such thing. But they may provide a flimsy excuse for a pardon,” writes @BarbMcQuade. https://t.co/MSoe7rMlEW
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) April 30, 2020

Pres says he may not have to pardon Gen Flynn because he'll be exonerated of charges against him due to FBI misconduct reflected in unsealed documents, which Pres calls "just disgraceful." And says he "would certainly consider" bringing Flynn back into the Administration.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) April 30, 2020

“I would certainly consider it,” Trump says of bringing Michael Flynn back to his administration
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) April 30, 2020

As was suggested by @AshaRangappa_ earlier, this is NOT a complicated one folks. https://t.co/5lP57Me9jg
— Greg Brower (@GregoryABrower) April 30, 2020

Very good thread https://t.co/nudVDeAVPj
— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) April 30, 2020

Flynn was compromised, because Russia knew he had lied and therefore had leverage over him. As the NSA, he was in a position to make decisions against the interests of the U.S. Sally Yates recommended the WH remove him. The FBI’s goal is to neutralize threats against the U.S. https://t.co/IgxpC3Hfm3
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) April 30, 2020

Did a big parse of Flynn docs:

1. They had a good idea he'd lie, cuz he already had

2. Getting someone to lie isn't a "perjury trap" if you had legit evidence (which they did)

3. On talk about getting him fired: Remember they worried he was compromisedhttps://t.co/dl0B8YnUH8
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) April 30, 2020

No one made Flynn lie. https://t.co/dShWatGCbm
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) April 30, 2020

Breaking news, Maria: He plead guiltyhttps://t.co/7tlOODuzeO https://t.co/MlGzl46eA2 pic.twitter.com/K9kfXdzXQ3
— Bad Fox Graphics (@BadFoxGraphics) April 26, 2020

Joe Arpaio is running for sheriff again

He’s the convicted bigot pardoned by Trump.

He is not “controversial.” He was found by both DOJ & a federal ct to have systematically violated the rights of Latinos in profiling & treatment of immigrants & then held in contempt by a federal judge when he refused to stop. https://t.co/nluzd3jfGa # via @HuffPostPol
— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) August 26, 2019

For Democrats hoping AZ will emerge as a backup plan to WI in the 2020 Electoral College could there be more a Christmas in August than Arpaio serving as a turnout magnet for Latinos and white liberals in Maricopa County, where new polls already show Trump approval underwater? https://t.co/5YwpkqgGHm
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) August 26, 2019

Joe Arpaio, a convicted criminal, who compared his detention facility to a concentration camp. https://t.co/ALuO7kRq6e
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) August 26, 2019

Joe Arpaio has announced his candidacy for Maricopa county sheriff once again.

Arpaio was convicted of criminal contempt after he defied a federal judge’s order to stop racially profiling and illegally detaining Latinx residents. We broke down his record: https://t.co/ntg4sz8kfg
— ACLU (@ACLU) August 26, 2019

Joe Arpaio, who was convicted on charges of criminal contempt, says he will seek another term as sheriff of Maricopa County, one year after President Trump pardoned him. "Those who break the law will have to deal with this Sheriff," Arpaio said. https://t.co/cngjWQZSUm pic.twitter.com/Sw9GOMmTkN
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) August 26, 2019

Reminder that Arpaio is not a “tough” sheriff, he’s a criminal. https://t.co/4AAicEGdkT
— Adrian Carrasquillo (@Carrasquillo) August 26, 2019

As a convicted felon, he's not allowed to vote for himself in #Arizona. #JoeArpaio https://t.co/WDjZdSKcdw
— Neil 🇺🇸 Ⓥ (@basementvegan) August 26, 2019

The costs to taxpayers from a racial profiling lawsuit stemming from former Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s immigration patrols in metro Phoenix a decade ago are expected to reach $202M by summer 2022. https://t.co/efXNKnhuaX
— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 18, 2021

Can Trump pardon himself?

President Trump says he has the right to “pardon himself." Is that true? @davidgura and his panel of guests answer that question. https://t.co/6OvDddYwCf
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 16, 2019