Trump’s last-minute pardons

President Trump issued 73 pardons and commuted the sentences of 70 individuals (total 143 cases) early Wednesday, 11 hours from leaving office. The Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution empowered the President to pardon the convicts serving their term in the US prisons and there is no details about the nature of crime or limit of pardon, it seems nearly limitless except the cases of impeachment. Trump’s pardons were for his loyalists, allies and mostly those Republicans who have some relations with Trump, his daughter Ivanka Trump or his son in law Jared Kushner. The high profile individuals, served with Trump’s pardons were Steve Bannon, Trump’s former Chief Strategist, Elliot Broidy, former Republican fundraiser, Anthony Levandowski, an engineer involved in theft case of business secrets, Rick Renzi, former Republican congressman involved in money laundering case, Duke Cunningham, former Republican congressman involved in bribes, Robert Zangrillo, a Miami investor involved in Fraud and bribery and an Israeli Agent handler Aviem Sella, who tunneled into the Pentagon through his American agent and Naval officer, Jonathan Pollard in 1980s.

 As per reports, The variety of the convicts involved in different cases ranging from association with Trump’s alleged  nexus with Russian during his presidential campaign or earlier, briberies, frauds, money laundering, theft, rape and even an Israeli spy has been pardoned by the Trump. As a final stock, he considered himself to be granted pardon by him. He fore saw the forthcoming situation, that he may face a potential legal jeopardy in future, therefore he discussed this option with his aides for the possibility of pardoning himself.

The United States Department of Justice had overviewed the possibility of self-pardon and gave verdict on it that the Constitution does not allow a sitting president to be indicted, but a former president enjoys no such protections. The Justice Department maintained that a self-pardon would be unconstitutional because it violates the basic principle that nobody should be the judge in his or her own case. This principle was observed last time during the case of US President Richard Nixon in 1974 memo, due to it, President Richard Nixon resigned amid the Watergate scandal.

The episode of self-pardon is over, right now, it is exemption of a former President from trial of cases relating to his presidency tenure. There are several occasions on which he abuses the powers of the President and trial able as per US law.

Dozens of people along with Speaker House of Representative Nancy Pelosi are probing a chance to suit a law case against former President Trump. Trump himself provided sufficient stuff to them. Some Trump’s critics pointed out about Trump pressurizing call to Georgia’s Election official on Nov 3, to find enough votes to overturn Trump defeat in Election 2020. Some pointed out the Trump’s speech to the mob on January 06, which led to the mob attack on Capitol hills, could be a reason for his trial.  There is an ongoing tax-fraud investigation into Trump’s businesses by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, the future proceeding may cause trouble for the Trump.

Trump pardoned a dozen of Jews including an Israeli spy master, several US military officers involved in war crimes, rapper, Several Congressmen involved in briberies and money laundering, and several other crimes convicts. The case of Dr.  Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani female prisoner serving 86 years sentence in US prison remained untouched. As per media reports, her mental health condition is very vilified, and she had filed a mercy plea in early 2020. But the American deep state did not let her to live a normal life with her children and family. This clearly depict that Presidential pardons were mostly politically driven instead of human rights or humanity.