Trump Declines To Answer Question About Pardoning Paul Manafort
- 6 years ago
President Trump has refused to comment on a possible pardon for his former campaign manager Paul Manafort.
President Trump has refused to comment on a possible pardon for his former campaign manager Paul Manafort who was indicted Monday as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russia's election meddling.
After wrapping up remarks about his administration's tax reform plans, Trump was asked by a reporter if he planned to pardon Manafort, and the president simply responded by saying, "Thank you."
According to a New York Times op-ed by University of California at Berkeley law professor John Yoo, the U.S. Constitution does give Trump the power to issue a pardon for "offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment."
"President Trump can clearly issue a pardon, without challenge by Congress or the courts, to anyone — even himself — subject to the Mueller investigation," Yoo further notes.
However, the professor advises against such a move, saying "it would provoke a political disaster."
Despite Trump's reticence at the press conference, he had commented on Manafort's indictment earlier in the day. "The Fake News is working overtime. As Paul Manaforts lawyer said, there was 'no collusion' and events mentioned took place long before he came to the campaign," Trump tweeted.
President Trump has refused to comment on a possible pardon for his former campaign manager Paul Manafort who was indicted Monday as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russia's election meddling.
After wrapping up remarks about his administration's tax reform plans, Trump was asked by a reporter if he planned to pardon Manafort, and the president simply responded by saying, "Thank you."
According to a New York Times op-ed by University of California at Berkeley law professor John Yoo, the U.S. Constitution does give Trump the power to issue a pardon for "offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment."
"President Trump can clearly issue a pardon, without challenge by Congress or the courts, to anyone — even himself — subject to the Mueller investigation," Yoo further notes.
However, the professor advises against such a move, saying "it would provoke a political disaster."
Despite Trump's reticence at the press conference, he had commented on Manafort's indictment earlier in the day. "The Fake News is working overtime. As Paul Manaforts lawyer said, there was 'no collusion' and events mentioned took place long before he came to the campaign," Trump tweeted.