Accepting a pardon is NOT necessarily an admission of guilt.

[RockRaven]

10. People who are innocent like Fauci, Cheney, etc don't need pardons b/c

they will not be convicted by a jury. The unanimity requirement for a guilty verdict will prevent that.

And the purported pardon will not save them from the harassment, intimidation, and legal expenses described. What is being posited is a DOJ/FBI acting against current policies and guidelines about investigation and prosecution decisions. Okay, yeah, that is plausible if not likely. And so be consistent with that, follow that train of thought... Any such DOJ/FBI would not be constrained from engaging in the investigation, harassment, and incursion of massive legal expenses just because the person has already been pardoned. A prosecution or conviction is separate from the goal/purpose there. Nothing about a pardon inherently protects against that.