Trump’s pardons: The list, from Steve Bannon to Lil Wayne

[EnterpriseSovereign]

The 45th president granted clemency to allies including Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn during his reign.

Donald Trump used his final hours as president to issue a slew of 143 pardons and commutations of sentence to friends and allies as he prepared to reluctantly hand over power to his Democratic successor Joe Biden.

A meeting with his inner circle at the White House on Sunday saw Mr Trump finalise the clemency list, a source told CNN.

Despite much speculation, he ultimately decided against issuing pre-emptive pardons to himself or members of his family or to the likes of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange or Tiger King star Joe Exotic.

He did excuse his estranged ex-chief strategist Steve Bannon, however, as well as the rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black.

Full list here.

[Solauren]

I heard that some of those pardons might have bypassed the D.O.J. (i.e not through proper legal channels)

Would that invalidate them?

[Lost Soal]

All that will mean is he bypassed the pardon panel which usually assesses and recommends them to the President but they do not invalidate them. All of his high profile pardons have bypassed that panel.

[Ralin]

Isn't the presidential pardon power explicitly something that's at his sole discretion and outside the normal judicial process anyway?

[Solauren]

Isn't the presidential pardon power explicitly something that's at his sole discretion and outside the normal judicial process anyway?

Has that ever been challenged? I can't believe that has been allowed to stay in the constitution in that form.

[Lost Soal]

The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

Its plain text. The power is the Presidents, full stop. Unless you have a SCOTUS who fundamentally object to pardons, there is nothing to challenge.

[Ralin]

Has that ever been challenged? I can't believe that has been allowed to stay in the constitution in that form.

Only way to remove it is by amendment, and look how hard that is.

Its plain text. The power is the Presidents, full stop. Unless you have a SCOTUS who fundamentally object to pardons, there is nothing to challenge.

And even if the Supreme Court did that they'd be enough in the wrong that the president would likely invoke the unspoken Andrew Jackson clause. It would be pretty hard to argue he wasn't justified since the court would be flat out ignoring the Constitution.