CNN: USDoJ investigating crime related to funneling money to the White House in exch for pardon

[Dennis Donovan]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/01/politics/presidential-pardon-justice-department/index.html

Justice Department investigating potential presidential pardon bribery scheme, court records reveal

By Katelyn Polantz, CNN

Updated 6:13 PM ET, Tue December 1, 2020

(CNN)The Justice Department is investigating a potential crime related to funneling money to the White House or related political committee in exchange for a presidential pardon, according to court records unsealed Tuesday in federal court.

The case is the latest legal twist in the waning days of President Donald Trump's administration after several of his top advisers have been convicted of federal criminal charges and as the possibility rises of Trump giving pardons to those who've been loyal to him.

The disclosure is in 20 pages of partially redacted documents made public by the DC District Court on Tuesday afternoon. The records show Chief Judge Beryl Howell's review in August of a request from prosecutors to access documents obtained in a search as part of a bribery-for-pardon investigation.

The filings don't reveal a timeline of the alleged scheme, or any names of people potentially involved, except that communications between people including at least one lawyer were seized from an office that was raided sometime before the end of this summer.

-/snip-

Link to tweet

John Harwood @JohnJHarwood

BREAKING from CNN:
“The Justice Department is investigating a potential crime related to funneling money to the White House in exchange for a presidential pardon, according to a court record unsealed on Tuesday by the chief judge of the DC District Court.”

6:04 PM · Dec 1, 2020

Link to tweet

Katelyn Polantz @kpolantz

NEW NEW: The Justice Dept is investigating a potentially criminal scheme of bribery for a presidential pardon.

LOTS redacted/unknown ... but court records are here, released this afternoon by the DC District Court:

https://dcd.uscourts.gov/sites/dcd/files/20gj35%20Partial%20Unsealing%20Order.pdf

6:10 PM · Dec 1, 2020

Holy fuck!

[leftieNanner]

1. As Rachel would say

Stick a pin in that.

Won't that be interesting news.

[Illumination]

48. Have 22 pins in my Trump voodoo doll...guess it's working!...

..... .....

[RestoreAmerica2020]

71. Like this?

[Note:haven't figured how to past an image on DU]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.pinterest.fr/pin/563231497143039005/&ved=2ahUKEwji7p6CjK7tAhXhFjQIHWEeAasQFjAUegQIExAB&usg=AOvVaw33Do1e3v9DO5o0CmFqOBy2

[Illumination]

89. That's pretty funny! My voodoo doll is from Etsy. He's naked, fat & disgusting & on my fridge...

That's an appropriate place to put him..... ..... ..... .....

[bluestarone]

2. I mentioned this awhile back

Selling pardons? Could be very interesting

[Mr.Bill]

28. I doubt Trump could resist the temptation to sell pardons.

In fact, I doubt he could even grasp how that would be illegal.

[bluestarone]

33. VERY TRUE

Rump is all about MONEY! ANYWAY he can get more of it is his game.

[cilla4progress]

39. Ab

solutely

[LastDemocratInSC]

56. Or selling classified information, as has been discussed.

He may be eager to get those small hands inside the cookie jar.

[Mike 03]

3. So Barr's visit to the White House this afternoon...

may not necessarily have been about his A.P. interview?

This is...



Speaking of Bill Barr's visit, did he ever leave the White House? Is he still there? Or did he leave in the trunk of a vehicle?

[Leghorn21]

12. I don't know, Mike, I've been waiting for him to come back out for hours now, like an

IDIOT!!

[Mike 03]

16. ...

[Cha]

66. I'm seriously confused! Does

this mean Barr is investigating trump?!!

TY!

[Leghorn21]

70. Nobody knows nuttin, Cha!! - but apparently, Barr snuck out when we weren't looking!:

Bill Barr was at the White House today for more than two hours.

Link to tweet

[Cha]

73. Curiouser and curiouser! TY!

Link to tweet

[drray23]

29. Maybe it was Barr 's ace in the sleeve in case Trump fucked with him.

Rudy tried to get him fired and Barr went to the wh ti set Trump straight..

[Grasswire2]

44. 2 1/2 hours, approximately

Maybe that included lunch.

[orwell]

67. How long does it take...

...to choke down 5 or 6 hamberders?

Maybe they both got supersized...

[rustysgurl]

4. Now that's an investigation I can get behind.

And it's probably more likely they'll find evidence of wrongdoing there than in any of the multitude of investigations and lawsuits regarding the election.

[roamer65]

5. No wonder Barr threw Dump under the bus.

He doesn’t want anywhere near this kinda shit.

[Mike 03]

10. Oh, yes.

[shanti]

74. Bet he's already

figured out how to get himself out of it, scot free. He knows where all the bodies are buried.

[lindysalsagal]

93. I still hold out hope we can indict barr on something.

Even if he's not convicted, I want him tried and losing lots of sleep and staying the hell away from my government forever.

[DonaldsRump]

6. In 1979, Tennessee Democrats engineered the early ouster of Gov. Ray Blanton (D) for selling pardons

And had Republican Governor-elect Lamar Alexander sworn in early.

While Blanton stated the pardons were to comply with a court order to reduce the state's prison population, the FBI and members of both parties grew concerned that the pardons were related to the alleged scandal then under investigation. After U.S. Attorney Hal Hardin (a friend of Blanton) tipped off state leaders that Blanton was planning more pardons, Lieutenant Governor (and Senate Speaker) John S. Wilder and State House Speaker Ned McWherter searched for a way to prevent further damage to the state's reputation. They found it in the state constitution, which is somewhat vague on when a newly elected governor must be sworn in. It was eventually decided to swear in Lamar Alexander, who had won the 1978 gubernatorial election, three days before the traditional inauguration day. Wilder later referred to Blanton's ouster as "impeachment Tennessee-style."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Blanton

Query: would today's Republicans in Congress do anything remotely the same if this is corroborated? While there can't be an early swearing in, impeachment and conviction of Trump is a similar remedy. I suspect we all know the answer to that.

[FelineOverlord]

23. In 1979, Tennessee Democrats engineered the early ouster of Gov. Ray Blanton (D) for selling pardons

There's a wonderful book about that case: Marie: A True Story, by Peter Maas.

The same author wrote the book Serpico.

[Mike 03]

24. So it's unethical but not illegal?

If the DoJ is investigating, it could be legal?

There was also an outgoing governor in Kentucky (Bevin?) who some people thought might be giving pardons in exchange for donations, and at one point he was going to be investigated for "abusing the power of pardoning" or something to that effect.

[Skraxx]

7. Duh, It's A FIRESALE!!!

EVERYTHING MUST GO!!! HIGHEST BIDDER!!!

[MagickMuffin]

8. Gee choose your candidate: Stone (?) Flynn (?)

Those would be my choices!

[Buckeyeblue]

46. Neither of them have the cash for that

So who does? Who has been pardoned?

My guess is that Rudy was the front man to sell pardons for Trump. It could also be one of the kids. But this seems like Rudy territory. Rudy would have those connections.

Maybe that's why we've had all of these desperate legal challenges to the election. Because they were tipped off that there was an investigation. Trump winning is the only way to make this not matter.

[BumRushDaShow]

57. How about this shady character who has $$$$$$$$ and disappeared out of the news?

Just guessing (other than maybe Manafort).

[crickets]

81. Somebody really needs to wipe that smug grin off his face. Ugh. nt

[klook]

97. Good guess, since Sondland was not supportive enough souring impeachment hearings.

No way will this be about anybody like Flynn, Stone, or Manafort. I’d love to be wrong about this.

[BumRushDaShow]

98. Seems the suggestions were that it was someone who was "in prison"

which as far as I know, Sondland isn't (although perhaps that might include someone who might be out on bail pending trial). The last I heard about him since he was fired in February, was an article in May - https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2020/05/sondland-wants-to-sell-convention-center-property-despite-market-crash.html

I was looking at the redactions and trying to guess the number of letters being blacked out to come up with names based on the lengths of the blackout.

[klook]

101. Ah, true

And actually, I don’t think Sondland’s ever been at risk of criminal prosecution, come to think of it. Buying an ambassadorship is penny ante compared to the larger crimes of the Trump cabal.

Yeah, I’ve been hearing that the redacted names look shortish — like Felix Sater, maybe.

[BumRushDaShow]

104. Plus

since Sondland testified at the impeachment, he maybe in the clear outside of some revenge thing with his finances (although his firing was part of the revenge).

My original visceral thought had actually been Manafort and then Lev/Igor, since the latter two just plead "not guilty" at a preliminary hearing the past week.

With respect to Sater - he has been used as an informant in the past so I didn't think he would attempt getting involved in something like that. The guy is literally a professional slimy smooth operator and would know better.

And I know the other visceral one that came to mind was Cohen but he burned his bridges for a pardon long ago (plus they already combed through his records), although if he had enough $$$$ from somewhere, it might not have been out of the question!

Other side people might include David Pecker from the National Enquirer with all the under the table "Catch and Kill" stuff that he engaged in and he has been trying fruitlessly to sell the rag (so far no buyers have put up the money yet).

If anything, this seems to be part of a scheme that might be involving multiple people (and more than the 3 that seemed to be redacted out).

[Captain Zero]

62. Since Flynn is pardoned now, he would have to testify

truthfully in any cash for pardon scheme he knew about, correct?

[MagickMuffin]

80. That is my understanding

Oopsie!

[Midnightwalk]

9. Trump could go on TV and sell pardons

What’s your liability? Each year of potential jail time runs 10 million. So give me 50 million and I’ll pardon you for a crime that carries guidelines of 5 years. The bribery pardon is free.

The DoJ would say, but we wrote a memo saying we can’t indict the president. Then on Jan 19 he pardons himself.

The republicans wouldn’t vote to remove so impeachment would be pointless.

Maybe there’s some reason he can’t but it wouldn’t surprise me one bit.

[spanone]

11. I believe that is called a Bribe. Quid pro quo.

If there's one, there are hundreds....betcha

[teach1st]

13. Here's the link to the redacted unsealing order

https://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/sites/dcd/files/20gj35%20Partial%20Unsealing%20Order.pdf

[teach1st]

15. Link to CNN article

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/01/politics/presidential-pardon-justice-department/index.html

[Dennis Donovan]

22. Added to the OP - thanks!

[DonaldsRump]

17. With the amount of redactions, they must have gone through tons of printer ink/toner! n/t

[erronis]

68. Yeah - I'm beginning they should use black paper and only print white for what they want us to see..

[DonaldsRump]

75. Bwahahahahaha! n/t

[servermsh]

14. A ha! So this is what the Barr White House meeting was about

Barr was warning the criminals involved.

[triron]

59. What I thought indeed!

[Ponietz]

18. Et tu, Bovine Bill?

[Leghorn21]

19. Tweeter Mandolyn Hicks asks

"Can one be pardoned for the crime of funneling money for a pardon?"

A pertinent query, indeed!!

[C_U_L8R]

20. Wow. There goes the pardon racket.

[pecosbob]

21. First thought was Flynn, but the un-redacted parts about attorney-client privelege scream "RUDY"!

[Mike 03]

27. I was wondering about Rudy too, especially since that story just

broke about him asking for a pardon.

Something is springing leaks!

[drray23]

31. it could be stone or flynn's lawyer too.nt.

[Mike 03]

35. Yes, I also want to make sure we aren't overlooking somebody else.

Rudy doesn't completely fit with retaining a lawyer "as a personal favor" because of "his political connections."

Oh wait, maybe it does: Ukraine.

The thing is: Would Rudy really have to buy a pardon from Trump? After all that he's done for him? Flynn gets one free but Rudy doesn't?

[DeSmet]

58. I don't think it's because of all they've done for Trump

Rudy, Stone, Flynn. Remember Barr trying to get Flynn's conviction thrown out. Trump didn't want to have to do the deed of pardoning. He pardoned Stone and Flynn because they know where the bodies are buried as does Rudy. loyalty only goes so far. Even Steve Bannon knows too much to need to pony up. My guess is someone outside the Trump circle in an unrelated crime.

[Mike 03]

32. Reading page 15

This is an attorney who was retained "as a personal favor to use his political connections."

I just want to be thorough. It is a male and we can rule out Victoria Toensing.

Can't necessarily rule out DiGova.

It couldn't be David Boies could it? Nah, nah...

Just want to make sure we aren't overlooking somebody.

[pecosbob]

38. The circle is tightening

[bucolic_frolic]

25. Funneling money .... cash, check, or credit card?

Wonder who was orchestrating this, and who was to financially benefit. We all assume the worst, but since many have assumed for months if not years that everyone would be pardoned, could be a rogue operator trying to cash in.

[FelineOverlord]

26. CNN: USDoJ investigating crime related to funneling money to the White House in exch for pardon

Link to tweet

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

30. Manafort? Stone?

There is so much fucking corruption in this administration that, besides prosecuting the appropriate people, there should be something like a truth and reconciliation commission to investigate and explore how it got so dirty, who did the dirt, and how do we make it stop.

[erronis]

69. Agree with the "Truth and ... Commission". But the ... ain't Reconciliation.

Lots of other options:
- Restitution
- Reconstruction
- Retribution
- Reconstitution

And always,
- Revenge

How many cycles of repuglicon malfeasance followed by Democratic repair need to happen before we realize that those bastards want to kill us all?

[More_Cowbell]

34. Greg Lindberg?

Recently started prison term for federal bribery, Dershowitz is his lawyer.

[greenjar_01]

83. His name wouldn't fit in the redacted area

of "to secure a pardon or reprieve of sentence for {REDACTED}" (p. 2). That's a four letter name, five letters at most. Definitely not eight: wouldn't fit there.

[LudwigPastorius]

85. So, like S-T-O-N-E?

[greenjar_01]

86. Doubt it

Stone was getting a pardon for other reasons. No need to lobby Trump to pardon Stone.

[LiberalLovinLug]

36. "Holy fuck!"

I'm all out fucks at this point, even the holy ones.

[Ponietz]

37. Interesting to look at the pardon list at DOJ:

Except for a few, like Susan B. Anthony and Jack Johnson, liars, robbers, traffickers, murderers.

https://www.justice.gov/pardon/pardons-granted-president-donald-trump

[Dream Girl]

40. Sounds about right.

[Captain Zero]

41. Anyone still think they wouldn't sell Intel Briefings?

This is why he shouldn't have briefings after he leaves office. He won't read them. He will sell them.

[Mike 03]

45. +1

My fervent hope is that the FBI opens a counterintelligence investigation on Trump immediately in the unlikely event they did not do so in early 2017.

[Grasswire2]

54. this needs an OP

Must be considered.

[Mr. Ected]

42. Because it involves Trump's PARDON power, I seriously doubt anything will come of it

One thing almost every attorney says about the president's pardon power is that the constitution places no limits on it whatsoever. I heard Preet Bharara say last night that Trump can and will likely pardon himself and absolutely NOTHING can be done about it until he is indicted for a criminal offense after leaving office and he uses the pardon as a defense. Even then, there is nothing in the constitution that would forbid it, and these originalist Justices will probably hold their noses and let it go, since Democrats are not likely to become fascist assholes in the coming century, and the bench is primarily self-serving Republicans without conscience.

If the Justice Department basically says that Trump could indeed shoot and kill someone on 5th Avenue and get away with it as long as he's in office - which defies logic and everything else that our founders would have wanted for this country - I can see them further deifying the President by giving him the power to pardon himself for that very offense.

Sorry, I've all but given up on constitutional remedies as applied to any crimes committed by the president, before, during or after his tenure. The end story of the Mueller investigation broke my heart and I don't think I'll ever recover.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

77. Presidential pardon does not extend to "cases of impeachment" ...

See Article II, Section 2
https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/articleii

That's the only limit.

[Mike 03]

43. Just two more possibilities come to mind:

Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman

[LessAspin]

47. Comey must be wondering why it wasn't leaked

Link to tweet

[doublethink]

50. I'll bet Susan Collins is concerned. n.t.

[LudwigPastorius]

49. Are you kidding me?

Mr. “I would like you to do us a favor though” has sold everything from photo ops to highly classified state secrets. I have no doubt in my mind.

The next AG will have to uncover all of Trump’s secret accounts and work backwards to find all the “best deals” made by that shithead.

[SayItLoud]

51. "doesn't mention any names". Hummm who might be able to grant a pardon? NT

[Evolve Dammit]

52. Selling pardons. I would never have thought of that. JFC on a cracker. "Corrupt" is too kind.

[nolabear]

53. Social media is running a betting game. It's hysterical.

I’m partial to the Joe Exotic crowd myself. 😃

[malaise]

55. My first thought

SIL Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

[BobTheSubgenius]

60. I find myself unable to be fully pleased by these kinds of announcements now.

I think to myself - and now to you - "I wonder where the grift is here?"

I find it almost impossible to believe that Barr's DoJ is doing this out of a sense of duty and a compulsion to Do What's Right. Where has this high-mindedness been until now? I have to think there's something behind it that we're not aware of. Or at least, I'm not.

[chowder66]

61. Uh oh. I'm wondering if this has something to do with Michael Cohen.

He had a ton of devices confiscated which the report mentions.

on edit; Maybe it's Rick Gates.

[wiggs]

63. Of course. We should assume this was done many times over, and worse. nt

[Ferrets are Cool]

64. Anyone who is surprised that it's happening isn't paying attention

The only surprise is that it is being reported.

[tclambert]

65. But Donald Trump is so rich! Why would he take bribes?

(Wasn't that obvious?)

[Chicagogrl1]

72. Isnt't it currently someone in jail?

With deep pockets:

Maxwell?

Weinstein?

Madoff?

? ? ? ?

[Aussie105]

76. White House Fire Sale!

Get them while the going is good!

Executive orders, for those companies that want to do things that destroy the environment, and pardons for those who have done naughty things!

Cold hamberders thrown in with every order!

But hurry, HURRY, limited offer, Expires in 50 days! Get yours NOW!

Apply in person at the big white house, Pennsylvania avenue.

Honestly though . . . any decent democracy does not give it's elected leader the dictatorial powers of pardoning, and executive orders.
Nor will it have an Electoral College, 'one man one vote' mean anything?

[LudwigPastorius]

84. Crazy Donny's Prices are INSANE!!!

Just look at this gently used commutation for time served...it's YOURS and OUT THE DOOR for $174,999.99!!

[Ford_Prefect]

78. Oh Please let this one stick...

[carpetbagger]

79. Merry Fitzmas.

[crickets]

82. Ouch.

[yellowcanine]

87. "Funneling money to the WH" suggests someone in the WH accepted the money.

So even if the "quo" did not happen, the "quid" may have. So someone could be charged with accepting a bribe.

[triron]

92. His name starts with a T.

[live love laugh]

88. 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣 Barr's Justice Dept. isn't going to do a thing to Trump.

[Blue Owl]

91. Surprise Surprise the funnel ends right at a big fat piece of shit

Go fuck yourself Donald

[BComplex]

94. I think it's either Manafort, Rick Gates, or Lev and Igor.

Someone who is in jail right now, or under the Bureau of Prisons, as per the redacted release.

[triron]

95. I can't get to this .gov site this morning.

[triron]

96. Anyone believe the DOJ announcement that no government officials are targets?

I don't.

[triron]

99. Betting there are sealed indictments.

[Coyote45]

100. dennis donovan

there is going to be a loooooong line in the pardons.

[Chakaconcarne]

102. trump needs a reason to proactively pardon himself and family....

Wondering if this is it.

[triron]

103. Prof. Laurence Tribe doesn't think a 'self-pardon' is constitutional.

Link to tweet

[Firestorm49]

105. It's Cohen. It's Cohen. It's Cohen.