Finish what we started
"It's time to move forward with the Presidency, the House, and the Senate. We will not stop doing what's right. Let's get to work."
On April 13, President Trump pardoned Scooter Libby. As chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, Libby was convicted of four felonies in 2007: obstruction of justice, lying to FBI investigators, and twice committing perjury before a grand jury. President Bush commuted his 30-month prison sentence, but even Libby’s boss stopped short of a full pardon.
This is an abuse of the pardon power, and a signal from Trump to Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, and other associates who are in the crosshairs of Special Counsel Robert Mueller that lying and obstructing justice will be tolerated and even rewarded.
“President Trump already has signaled that he is willing to use his constitutional powers in order to protect those who remain loyal to him, even if they are convicted of obstruction or perjury,” said Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA). “By pardoning Scooter Libby last week, Trump has sent a clear and unmistakable message to potential witnesses against him or members of his family that: ‘if you have my back, I’ll have yours.’”
Schiff has introduced legislation to prevent the president from using pardons to obstruct justice or benefit personally. The Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act would require evidence against a pardon recipient be provided by the Justice Department to Congress if that person be pardoned is connected with an investigation in which the president or a family member is a target, subject, or witness.