Could Bush have Pardoned Rove?

[berni_mccoy]

The Constitution grants the president the ability to Pardon. However, I don't know of any laws that require a pardon to be public record. If Rove's indictment was sealed and Bush pardoned Rove, is it possible we would never know? (And for those who don't know, yes, you can be pardoned by the President before charges are brought up)

I know it's a stretch, but is this a possibility? It's not the simplest explanation, but we are far from an explanation for why no indictment will be made against Rove when it seemed straightforward and likely that he would.

[lonestarnot]

1. He'd have to be convicted first doncha think?

[elehhhhna]

3. No.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

4. You forgot Watergate,

Nixon, and Gerald Ford. See my post below.

How hot is it there today? Need a beerdrinking pussycat, do ya?

[lonestarnot]

12. Yes could use that damn cat even at this hour. No not too bad this a.m.

yet, but today is to be a record breaker, but I like it hot. Makes me realize I really am in hell.

[berni_mccoy]

5. Nope. Charges do not even need to be brought up.

People have been pardoned in the past before charges or conviction.

[lala_rawraw]

9. No, his father pardoned a whole load of Iran Contra folks

before there was a trial even.

[City Lights]

10. His father didn't wait for a conviction.

He pardoned his Iran Contra cronies on Christmas Eve before the trial even started.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

2. It's a stretch

It didn't happen.

You can let it all go now. No indictment, no pardon, and, by the way, yes, the President can pardon everyone and anyone, even if they're not indicted.

Go read up on Gerald Ford pardoning Richard Nixon after Nixon resigned. You'll see the phrase "unindicted co-conspirator," which made legal history when the concept was introduced. But, the Presidential pardon power is unquestionable and absolute.

And public.

That's the simple explanation. Now, it's over

[berni_mccoy]

8. Well, I know you are a lawyer, but I have to disagree on one part

As I understood the law, a President can only pardon for federal crimes, not state or local crimes.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

11. It's absolute

The Presidential pardon power is absolute.

He can pardon someone who's never even been charged.

Gerald Ford - Richard Nixon - Watergate.

Absolute. Covers everything, including jurisdiction.

[elehhhhna]

6. No conviction needed, from wikipedia:

A presidential pardon may be granted at any time after commission of the offense; the pardoned person need not have been convicted or even formally charged with a crime.

[Blue Fire]

7. I thought a pardon

was used for someone who had been convicted and sentenced. The pardon doesn't erase the conviction, but releases the person from any additional punitive actions. Am I wrong on this?

[Blue Fire]

13. I see from other posts

how a pardon works. Learned something new today. But Kapitan Karl can still be inflicted with some kind of excruciatingly painful cancer, can't he?

[OldLeftieLawyer]

15. One can hope

As my old Italian grandmother always said, "You spit up in the air, it lands in your face."

We got time, kid................

[OldLeftieLawyer]

14. Yes

No conviction is needed.

In fact, no indictment is needed.

"Unindicted co-conspirator." That should be chiseled on Richard Nixon's headstone, because that's what he was when Ford pardoned him (a big mistake, in my book).

[lonestarnot]

16. Unindicted co-conspirator. Nice ring to it.

[pansypoo53219]

17. wonder if he squealed

on cheney.