We Need to Change the Presidential Pardon Law

[craychek]

I have noticed with many of the modern presidents from nixon on down that they have pardoned people who were their friends or connected to their friends. More importantly, they also have the ability to pardon people within their administration or people that have resigned from their administration. You see the problem here? The president can PARDON anyone he wants in his administration and outside of it. Even if the corrupt politicians do get found out, even those within the administration including the president himself, they can just be pardoned.

So I think that this needs to be changed so that shit like this doesn't happen. And if things keep going the way they are, they will happen.

[arcane1]

1. I say get rid of it all together

especially since they can pardon someone before they have even been tried and convicted :grr:

[H2O Man]

2. I respectfully disagree.

The presidential power to pardon is not what needs to be changed. If a weasal is elected, they will pardon weasals; an honest leader would not. It makes more sense to aim at electing honorable people. Unless that can be accomplishewd, one could not begin to think it is possible to change the power to pardon; when it is accomplished, the change is not necessary.

[ISUGRADIA]

3. It will require a constitutional amendment to change the pres power

which has been abused over the years

[ddeclue]

4. It is a constitutional issue, not merely a statuatory one.

You would have to change Article II of the Constitution. It does say he can't pardon people who are subject to impeachment however already. So that keeps him from pardoning Cheney or the cabinet officers while still in office. If they resign then he can pardon. If they are impeached he can still pardon them to prevent the gov't from then prosecuting them in an ordinary court of law which they could do.

The public wouldn't sit still for such wholesale "pardoning" of Bush's inner circle. This would actually precipitate immediate impeachment proceedings on the part of even the GOP Congress. It would also make him and all the pardonees subject to intense scrutiny whenever the Democrats regained control of Congress and/or the White House and they would find some dirt on them later on to get them for.

Doug D.
Orlando, FL

[Double T]

5. If the entire WH staff is indicted on one or more of a dozen......

or so illegal activities along with most of the republican leadership in the house and senate, there will be no republicans left to pardon each other.