Presidential Pardon Powers

Submitted by ub on

Perhaps the president’s pardon power may not be absolute after all? The power to pardon is one of the least limited powers granted to the President in the Constitution. The only limits mentioned in the Constitution are that pardons are limited to offenses against the United States and not civil or state cases and that they cannot affect an impeachment process.

WHERE DOES THE PRESIDENT’S PARDON POWER COME FROM? Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution says: “The President … shall have the Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.” The president’s power can only be used to pardon someone for a federal crime, not a state one. Therefore Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution gives the president the "Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

The Constitution may bar self-pardons or those designed to protect the president from liability. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/this-overlooked-part-of-the-con…

OK, is everyone ready for Attorney General Scott Pruitt? How Trump Might Replace Sessions with Pruitt as Attorney General https://www.justsecurity.org/53897/trump-replace-sessions-pruitt-ag/

The White House refuses to cooperate with all three Republican-led House investigations. White House disregarded Republican investigators’ requests. The GOP has been reluctant to fight back. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article…