President Trump remembered this week (as he does periodically) how much he enjoys his pardon power. As with previous waves of pardons and commutations, he has shied away from using them in the specific cases where he feels like the victim of a witch hunt. So: no pardon for Paul Manafort or Roger Stone or Michael Flynn, but President Trump found sort of similar cases of wealthy and connected people who, well, did they really deserve what came to them? Josh Barro and Ken White discuss the pardons and the fates of Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, Andrew McCabe, Michael Avenatti and more in this special live episode of All The President’s Lawyers.
The wave of pardons
A sign that reads "Thanks Mr. President Trump" is displayed outside the home of Rod Blagojevich, the ex-Illinois governor convicted of trying to peddle Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat, after U.S. President Donald Trump commuted his prison sentence, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. February 19, 2020. Photo credit: Joshua Lott/Reuters