Please Joe Biden Use the Pardon Power to prevent Retribution

[Rilgin]

Joe Biden can actually protect some of Trump's promised retribution by broad use of the Pardon Power. Hopefully, even the Republicans will acknowledge his ability to do that.

He can clearly pardon Jack Smith, Adam Shiff, Pelosi and everyone involved in any prosecution of Trump or identified by Trump in any rally or interview as a target of his grievance or retribution. This will not solve every issue but these people need protection.

I have not seen this mentioned in the news. Hopefully the administration is already thinking on these lines but if not and anyone knows someone in the white house, please pass it on.

[FBaggins]

1. Burdick v. United States

Acceptance of a pardon is effectively admitting guilt.

[Bad Thoughts]

3. Maybe he should pardon Trump

[Fiendish Thingy]

4. Burdick is a narrow ruling that has been overturned in other cases.

It’s a myth that refuses to die

[tritsofme]

6. It was also never binding, the statement in that decision was dicta.

[FBaggins]

8. Not really a "myth"

Arguably dicta.

But since there’s no legal significance to the question… we’ll never have more than the debate.

Still - not a good look. As no shortage of public democrats have said when people speculated about Trump pardons.

[Fiendish Thingy]

9. Definitely not a good look

For Biden, or the potential pardon recipients.

[Fiendish Thingy]

5. You're assuming fascists would recognize a pardon. Nt

[Rilgin]

7. That is a question.

That is a question, but he should do it anyhow. It has been considered unlimited and an unchecked power so it might survive republican attack. Regardless, he should do it.

[Igel]

10. Pardon them for what?

Pardon them for using the law as a political weapon?

Well, that would be saying that they used the law as a political weapon and they'd been forgiven.

No need for them to admit guilt in accepting the pardon or having the DOJ honor the pardon. But the President would have to basically say there was a crime or something judiciable that they did. "Maybe if they did something I can issue a pardon sufficiently broad to cover pretty much anything conspiratorial, improper, illegal" gets really sketchy when he's pardoning an employee.

[Rilgin]

11. Trump will use his justice department for revenge

Trump has run on revenge and retribution. Its fine and good to say he shouldn't but he will.

The people he targets will spend millions and be at risk of whatever the Trump appointed lawyers and Trump appointed judges dream up. I am just suggesting that even though Trump should not do that, he will have the power to do that and there will be no checks and balances. Some might, after massive expense, be found innocent by juries if a fair judge but not everyone.

The only real way to prevent it would be to preemptively pardon all of Trump's targets from absolutely any possible crime anyone could think of even though WE KNOW THEY ARE NOT GUILTY. This may save them considerable problems when Trump goes after them or it may not but there are really no other checks on malicious prosecution with cooperative corrupt judges.

Saying they should not need a pardon (even though generally true without MAGA in power) does not protect them. A pardon might

[Jit423]

12. Thank you for posting.

I have pleaded for this on many other Dem sites hoping that someone close to Joe would take the message to him.

I even went so far as to suggest that Joe might use his power and position to perform an even bolder move.