Congressional Democrats target Trump's "pardon industrial complex"
A new bill would bring scrutiny to pardons tied to the president's allies and donors, but legal experts say it would likely run up against the Constitution.
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AIWhat the article reports
House Democrats Mike Levin and Jason Crow introduced the Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act, which would have the Justice Department's inspector general investigate pardons with possible conflicts of interest, bar self-pardons, and require recipients to disclose gifts to projects tied to the president. The article says about 70% of President Trump's second-term clemency actions bypassed the Justice Department's pardon office, or 92% counting Jan. 6 defendants. The White House says there is a robust review process, and three legal experts say key parts of the bill would likely run up against the president's constitutional pardon power.
The article attributes claims to named sources and gives the White House response and three legal experts who doubt the bill. Wording such as "pardon industrial complex" is quoted from Levin, not asserted by the outlet.
- Quotes Levin's "pardon industrial complex" phrase with attribution rather than adopting it
- Includes White House denial and counsel Will Scharf's statement
- Three legal experts say the bill likely conflicts with the Constitution, including a critical "criminalize the political process" view
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6 Comments
3 AM and reading this. "Run up against the Constitution" is the oldest dodge in the book. This administration has ignored the Constitution since day one, from installing sycophants like Kash Patel and RFK Jr. to their daily attacks on the press. Now they want us to believe they suddenly care about the letter of the law when Democrats try to rein in Trump's pardon-for-sale scheme. Seventy percent of pardons skipping the DOJ. Ninety-two percent if you count the Jan 6 traitors. This isn't just a conflict of interest, it's a criminal enterprise.
When pardons flow to allies and donors outside the usual review, presidential mercy starts looking like a perk for the powerful. A constitutional power should not become a private pipeline for oligarchs. Who is this democracy supposed to serve?
Pardons for allies and donors skipping the review office is a real problem, and the 70% number deserves attention. But the "oligarchs" and "who does democracy serve" angle is the kind of line that gets you fired up more than it informs you. Presidents of BOTH parties have handed out sketchy last-minute pardons to friends and donors. Biden pardoned his own son, remember.
The bigger issue with this bill is that three legal experts say it would likely hit a wall with the constitutional pardon power. So Democrats are selling a fix that may not survive a court challenge, which makes it a good campaign talking point and maybe not much else. Trust the process less, trust the paperwork more.
Democrats lost the pardon argument the day the Constitution was ratified, so now they want an inspector general to do the work the voters wouldn't. Read the last line of their own story: three legal experts say it runs into the pardon power. They know it. This is a messaging bill for fundraising, nothing else. And funny how none of these geniuses wrote a bill when the last guy's family was cashing in. CBS can run the same story next year when it dies in committee.
Democrats been cryin about pardons since Trump took office, fella, and now they wanna sic the inspector general on the President's own constitutional power. Even them three legal experts say it won't hold up, so this bill is just somethin to wave around for the cameras. Trump can pardon who he wants, and that's what the Constitution says, so go read it.
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The Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act would make recipients disclose gifts to projects tied to the president, which is a bold ask in a White House where the ballroom fundraiser and the pardon desk apparently share a Rolodex. Seventy percent bypassing the pardon office means the DOJ's most underused department is now the one literally built for this. Ninety-two percent counting Jan. 6, so the only real review process is whether you showed up with a flag pole.