trump's Arpaio pardon should raise serious alarms for the Russia investigation

[DonaldsRump]

4. It sure seems to me to be a signal

Last night, Paul Begala and others on Bill Maher's show said the same things: this pardon, its timing, and its complete departure from protocol is a clear signal to potential defendants in the Russian investigations: basically, hang tight, shut your mouth, and I'll take care of you.

In any event, civil actions, which the President cannot pardon/commute, can still be used against Arpaio to obtain that increasingly elusive concept called "justice." I know it's not equivalent, but it still can be effective.