What does pardoning Flynn really mean?

What’s more, pardoning Flynn does not really clear him of wrongdoing but, rather, overrules the judgment of his guilt by presidential fiat; the power of clemency, as Alexander Hamilton described it, is designed to serve as a granting of “exceptions” to the law, not a shaping of the law itself.

Are Trump’s fingerprints on the Flynn case smudged?

And Sullivan’s insistence on hearing the matter briefed before granting his leave has triggered early recourse to the court of appeals. The result is that while Trump’s fingerprints on the matter are smudged, the Flynn case’s dismissal—if and when it comes—will bear the clear fingerprints of at least one, and maybe several, federal judges.

What happened to Flynn’s lawyer?

In the summer of 2019, Flynn dumped his legal team and brought on a new set of lawyers led by Sidney Powell, a Texas attorney and frequent critic on Fox News of the Mueller investigation. After the shake-up, Flynn took a combative approach with the government.

What’s the deal with Flynn?

Flynn, in turn, tried to undermine his own country’s policy, reassuring our attackers while speaking to a Russian ambassador, which culminated in Flynn lying to the FBI about his efforts on Trump’s behalf.

Was the Flynn pardon a final act of retributive warfare?

As Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent put it, “In the end, the Flynn pardon is perhaps best understood as one final act of venal, malevolent, retributive warfare waged by Trump on the country that just rejected him, and even on the rule of law itself, which he could not ultimately subvert to quite the degree he’d hoped.”

Does Trump’s pardon for himself constitute a self-pardon?

Although not technically a self-pardon, pardons for co-conspirators are similarly aimed at self-protection, so should also be barred. The dangers of Trump’s pardoning someone “connected” to his own alleged high crimes in a “suspicious manner” have not abated after the Senate vote.