Asia to Follow Wall Street Up After China Property Aid: Markets Wrap
Asian equities were primed to rise Tuesday following gains on Wall Street and after China stepped up support
2023-07-11 07:21
Girona left angered by Barcelona's Oriol Romeu approach
Barcelona's contact with Oriol Romeu has left Girona frustrated.
2023-07-02 17:28
Raiwalui praises Fiji's 'jackals' in Australia win
Fiji coach Simon Raiwalui paid tribute to his "jackals" after the Pacific Island nation claimed their first win over Australia since 1954 in a...
2023-09-18 04:18
Can Donald Trump pardon himself?
Donald Trump has already been indicted three times this year, twice at the federal level. In April, he was arraigned in New York and pleaded not guilty to state charges after receiving an indictment from Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg accusing him of manipulating his business records to conceal hush money payments allegedly made to porn actress Stormy Daniels in 2016 to stop her discussing an extramarital affair they are said to have had in 2006 in time to derail his presidential run. Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith then handed him a federal indictment in May over his alleged mishandling of classified government documents following the conclusion of his one-term presidency and then another in August over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election result, accusing him of conspiracy to defraud the United States, tampering with a witness and conspiracy against the rights of citizens. In both cases, Mr Trump again pleaded not guilty to all charges. But that’s not all. He could be about to face a fourth indictment, this time from Fani Willis, district attorney of Fulton County, Georgia, over his attempts to influence the 2020 vote count in that crucial swing state, which turned blue for Joe Biden and prompted Mr Trump to pressure local secretary of state Brad Raffensperger into helping him “find” the 11,780 ballots he needed to win, a conversation that was recorded and described as “worse than Watergate” by veteran Washington Post journalist Carl Bernstein. While Ms Willis hasn’t confirmed that an indictment will be handed down this week, her earlier statements and security measures surrounding the Fulton County courthouse indicate that movement is imminent in the case. No former or sitting president of the United States has ever been formally charged with a crime before, so for Mr Trump to have received multiple indictments is already history-making, another ignominious claim to fame for the first American commander-in-chief ever to have been impeached twice. The prospect of Mr Trump winning the presidency again in November 2024 and then attempting to use his presidential pardoning powers to excuse himself is a fascinating prospect that could yet become a reality. As president between 2017 and 2021, Mr Trump cheerily used his executive clemency powers to hand out pardons to no fewer than 237 people, from Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio to right-wing content creator Dinesh D’Souza by way of cronies like Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort and George Papadopoulos. Whether he had the authority to pardon himself was a key question at the time he left office in the aftermath of the deadly Capitol riot of 6 January 2021, which, ultimately, never had to be answered because he did not attempt to do so. The broad consensus among legal experts back then was that there was no stipulation in place to actually prohibit such an act but, given that there was no precedent for it either, it would likely be subjected to a lawsuit calling into question its legal validity. While Mr Trump is now a private citizen and therefore has no such powers, he does find himself in the extraordinary position of being thrice-indicted while simultaneously leading the pack for the Republican Party’s nomination to be its candidate for president in 2024, leaving such rivals as Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott and Chris Christie eating his dust in the polls. There is nothing in the US Constitution to stop someone from running a presidential campaign while under indictment or even having been convicted of a crime, although its 14th Amendment does prevent anyone from running who has taken an oath of office and thereafter engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” against the country, which could ultimately cause problems for Mr Trump should he be convicted over Mr Smith’s charges pertaining to the Capitol riot. Unless that comes to pass, however, he is free to run for the White House once more. But what would happen if he were to actually win and attempt to use his reinstated pardoning powers for his own benefit is where matters get really knotty. Firstly, presidential pardons are only applicable to federal crimes. While that means he could potentially absolve himself in the classified documents and 2020 election cases brought by Mr Smith, he could not do the same in the indictment brought by Mr Bragg, which is a state affair. Second, the Constitution bans presidents from pardoning themselves from impeachments, meaning any conduct Mr Trump is found guilty of committing in connection with impeachment would not be eligible for a pardon. Third, any pardon would almost certainly result in a Supreme Court case and the court might not be inclined to side with Mr Trump, despite the current conservative majority on its benches. A Justice Department memo from 1974 stated: “Under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case, the president cannot pardon himself.” While that memo is not law, it could be used to argue for precedent should the situation go to court. Therefore, if a scenario were to arise in which Mr Trump won the 2024 election but was convicted on charges in the state case (a trial is scheduled for March) or in the federal case relating to the Capitol riot, over which he was impeached, he would not be allowed to pardon himself, likely resulting in a massive and costly legal fight to spare him jail time. If he found himself unable to avoid that outcome, the situation would almost certainly lead to a third impeachment or his removal from office via the 25th Amendment, which allows the Cabinet to remove a president who is unable to perform their duties. There are many duties and trappings of the presidency an incarcerated person would simply not be able to carry out from a prison cell, like the viewing of classified materials, to name just one. We are still very much in hypothetical territory at this point, with any potential conviction for Mr Trump still a long way off and little more than a distant possibility. But the conversations he has started with his latest bid for the presidency have already pushed parts of theoretical US constitutional law far further than many experts ever believed they might live to see. Read More Trump judge demands court hearing as Jack Smith and ex-president spar over protective order – latest Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon sides with Trump again in classified documents case Former Republican official in Georgia subpoenaed over Trump efforts to change election result Trump and Biden tied in hypothetical 2024 rematch, poll finds Prosecutors have started presenting Georgia election investigation to grand jury Hunter Biden's lawyers say gun portion of plea deal remains valid after special counsel announcement Trump assails judge in 2020 election case after she warned him not to make inflammatory remarks
2023-08-15 00:51
Rudy Giuliani is not disputing that he made false statements about Georgia election workers
Rudy Giuliani says a court filing that he's not disputing that he made public comments about two Georgia election workers that were false
2023-07-26 21:56
Bitcoin Flirts With $38,000 as Spot ETF Hopes Encourage Bull Run
Bitcoin was in sight of $38,000, a level last seen in May 2022, amid an ongoing rally spurred
2023-11-16 09:23
Brazil's Lula places new restrictions on gun ownership, reversing predecessor's pro-gun policy
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has signed a decree tightening restrictions on civilian access to guns in Brazil, in a move aimed at reversing the pro-firearms policies of his right-wing predecessor Jair Bolsonaro
2023-07-22 04:54
Cathay Pacific Selects Affirm as its Exclusive Pay-Over-Time Partner in the U.S.
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 27, 2023--
2023-07-27 21:21
Chelsea agree deal to sell Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Marseille
Chelsea have agreed a deal with Marseille to sell striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
2023-07-19 20:26
Who was Alaina Dildine? Probe found teen who drowned in high school pool was underwater for 52 minutes
Alaina Dildine, 15, 'went under a bulkhead' that separates the pool while swimming with other children, according to the school administrators
2023-07-12 15:48
Shale producers Pioneer Natural, Devon post sharp drop in second-quarter profits
(Reuters) -Pioneer Natural Resources Co and Devon Energy Corp posted a sharp drop in their second-quarter profits on Tuesday, as
2023-08-02 05:21
UPS Union Asks White House Not to Intervene in Case of Strike
United Parcel Service Inc.’s union president called on workers to be prepared for a strike as the Teamsters
2023-07-17 02:52
You Might Like...
Man City into Champions League knockouts as Celtic embarrassed and Shakhtar stun Barcelona
Scientists develop simple test to help us find alien life
Watson rallies Browns from 14 down in 4th to 33-31 win over Ravens, tightening AFC North
Booming migrant charter flights to Nicaragua prompt US crackdown
Colombia proposes 502.6 trillion pesos 2024 budget
High seas treaty moves closer to reality with first signatures
Royce Lewis sets Twins season record for grand slams with 4th in 10-2 win over White Sox
Inside the Taliban's war on drugs - opium poppy crops slashed