Fair to associate Joe's pardon of Hunter with "scandal," but it was clearly done out of necessity. Trump has ordered his DOJ to target his ginned-up enemies, probably starting with the Bidens, who never did him any harm, other than to his ego. I believe Mister will still try to overturn that pardon and jail Joe's son in an attempt to ruin what remains of Joe's life. When he runs out of Bidens, he'll be coming for everyone else. I worry for Cohen, Daniels, and yes, Rosie O'Donnell. The man doesn't exist if he doesn't have "enemies" to exploit.
Well said. While one can criticize Biden for his decision to pardon Hunter, and to issue pre-emptive pardons, given Trump's thirst to punish any and everyone who disagrees with him, I can't get too worked up over Biden's decision.
Sadly Trump and his cult will likely do whatever they can to harass the Biden family.
Meanwhile, Trump the Loser pardons gang leaders and his son-in-law's criminal father, not for any purpose other than to stick it to the libs. These sure are interesting times for people with a conscience. It's odd to be punished for that by a president.
While the main point of this column is valid, I take great umbrage at Professor Sarat's equating Joe Biden's pardon of his son Hunter with the hundreds of corrupt Trump pardons, and even with those of Marc Rich, Roger Clinton, and others.
Donald Trump ran for the presidency on a platform of vindictiveness and "retribution"; he promised as a candidate to go after everyone in the government who had dared offend him, and their families. After Hunter Biden was indicted, offered a plea deal, had the plea deal revoked under Republican Party pressure (brought to bear against the Republican special prosecutor whom Joe Biden could have fired and replaced, BUT DIDN'T -- because he believed and believes that justice should be left untouched by politics), and then was convicted of the most minor crime, TRUMP and his Thug colleagues in the Congress immediately averred that they would prosecute him (and persecute him) all over again if they gained power.
When they won the election, President Biden recognized that these vindictive, anti-American, anti-constitutional thugs would, indeed, harass and persecute his son for the next four years, along with James Comey of the FBI and countless others. Pardoning them was not only JUST, it was the only possible way to avert at least some of the worst excesses of the current regime of terror. (Need I remind you that that regime is already arresting judges, Democratic members of Congress and mayors, and thousands of residents, using masked, black-clad Gestapo troops in unmarked vehicles????)
So comparing what President Biden did with what Trump and others are doing is the height of false equivalence and sophistry.
Furthermore, as a professor of Political Science(!) at an Ivy League university, you should damn well know how to spell the name of former President Dwight D. EisenHOWER -- not Eisenhauer.
Yeah, it does feel like both-sidesism to mention Biden in the same breath with what Trump is doing. Biden could have gotten rid of David C. Weiss, whom Trump had brought in to investigate the Bidens. It would have been perfectly legal. But Biden kept Weiss around. Weiss asked to be made a Special Counsel, and Biden's AG gave him that status. Weiss himself was the one who said that the Republicans' star witness accusing the Bidens of terrible things was, in fact, a Russian agent, and should be locked up. But because Weiss made a deal with Hunter Biden and then broke it, and Biden worries about his one living son who is not well, and he knows how dishonest and vengeful Trump is, he pardoned his son -- and others Trump planned to go after. There's really no comparison between that and how Trump uses the power to pardon.
There HAVE been various favors for pardons in the past.
However, this is the first president who so openly monitized his ability to pardon. It seems that anyone with a million dollars or some favors to offer will get the “Get out of jail free” card.
I'm with the others taking umbrage at the comparison of Biden pardoning his son and other family members with the lawless insanity Trump has undertaken. I have happily paid for a subscription to the Contrarian for months now; this has changed my mind. I thought this was supposed to be independent media, with none of the egregious "both-sideism" of MSM. Not so, apparently. I'm cancelling my paid subscription. There are other substack writers/groups that don't feel the need to paint Biden with the same brush as the TACO King that can use my money.
Wow, talk about false equivalency. Indulgences and over 1000 J6 criminals are the same as pardoning Hunter Biden? Are you interviewing for a job with WaPo??
Watching the hearings investigating the “ Biden Crime family”, I can understand why President Biden issued the pardons for Hunter and his family. If he hadn’t, they would probably be at some secret location receiving some horrible treatment. The MAGAS were out for blood. I understand your point that pardons are being abused. But don’t you think President Trump allegedly selling pardons is the worst ? Even some Democratic Senators criticized President Biden for the pardons. But these are the same people who screamed President Trump is ending our democracy but voted to confirm many of the administration’s cabinet nominees. I think everybody should get off their high horse and coalesce our efforts to oppose this administration!
Surely it’s not a coincidence that those in his most recent batch of pardons seem to favor business practices very similar to those of the president and his organization—tax evasion, fraud, bribery, and the occasional threat of extortion. They’re his kind of people.
The United States can't even get an Amendment to the Constitution saying corporations are not people. There's no way there'll be anyway to curtail Presidential or Governor's power.
On the other hand, the pardon option used by state governors goes unmentioned.
I am a now-retired public defender trial lawyer from the 1980s New Orleans area. Among other phenomena, I have never had a client get a pardon in my career, and seeing that public defenders as a class are low men on the criminal justice totem pole, I can see why.
I now strive to convince state governors to issue clemency orders for men and women sentenced to die for their heinous crimes, some of which are results of mental distress caused by family history, inept lawyering for the client and/or disadvantaged upbringing. It is a fact that over 200 people since 1976 have been exonerated by post-trial lawyers and courts - salvaged from death sentences - and released as actually innocent.
Almost never does this salient fact obtain favorable results in the political forum; nonetheless, clemency can (and should) take the form of removing the client from the death list and turn into LWOP a la Biden's action in commuting most of the federal death row inmates. (Of course, his successor in office will try to reverse this common-sense action).
In sum, knowing all this and adding thereto all the pain of both victims' and clients' families over the decades of awaiting the advent of a death warrant in prison, it is obvious that the DP is a useless and ugly carbuncle on the face of American justice. It is a hangover from the colonial days when "vengeance is mine, says the Lord" was translated into execution warrants. Few speak up for those who have neither the resources nor the consideration given those who are routinely granted pardons for their own heinous actions, as well-presented in this article.
Donald J. Trump, one of the most aggrieved victims in the history of the world, if you were fool enough to believe sounds parting his lips as truthful, non-fiction. His delusion (or more likely, his mendacity) is so inculcated into his ego he is certain, beyond doubt, that he is the personification of victimhood. As such, each felon who shares his same penchant for lawlessness or entitlement, becomes a person with whom he relates. His penchant for bestowing these undeserving clemency orders is his way of attempting to justify his own felonious and corrupt impulses. During the first 250 years of the U.S., history will judge Trump as the most dishonest, corrupt holder of the office of Presidency.
... provided our democracy survives!! I cannot understand why the more powerful among us have not put a sudden end to the appallingly criminal trump machine. Arrest him, convict him, imprison him or impeach him ... whatever it takes!!
Fair to associate Joe's pardon of Hunter with "scandal," but it was clearly done out of necessity. Trump has ordered his DOJ to target his ginned-up enemies, probably starting with the Bidens, who never did him any harm, other than to his ego. I believe Mister will still try to overturn that pardon and jail Joe's son in an attempt to ruin what remains of Joe's life. When he runs out of Bidens, he'll be coming for everyone else. I worry for Cohen, Daniels, and yes, Rosie O'Donnell. The man doesn't exist if he doesn't have "enemies" to exploit.
Well said. While one can criticize Biden for his decision to pardon Hunter, and to issue pre-emptive pardons, given Trump's thirst to punish any and everyone who disagrees with him, I can't get too worked up over Biden's decision.
Sadly Trump and his cult will likely do whatever they can to harass the Biden family.
Meanwhile, Trump the Loser pardons gang leaders and his son-in-law's criminal father, not for any purpose other than to stick it to the libs. These sure are interesting times for people with a conscience. It's odd to be punished for that by a president.
And then names his corrupt son-in-law's corrupt felonious father the Ambassador to France!
Jebus, what next.
While the main point of this column is valid, I take great umbrage at Professor Sarat's equating Joe Biden's pardon of his son Hunter with the hundreds of corrupt Trump pardons, and even with those of Marc Rich, Roger Clinton, and others.
Donald Trump ran for the presidency on a platform of vindictiveness and "retribution"; he promised as a candidate to go after everyone in the government who had dared offend him, and their families. After Hunter Biden was indicted, offered a plea deal, had the plea deal revoked under Republican Party pressure (brought to bear against the Republican special prosecutor whom Joe Biden could have fired and replaced, BUT DIDN'T -- because he believed and believes that justice should be left untouched by politics), and then was convicted of the most minor crime, TRUMP and his Thug colleagues in the Congress immediately averred that they would prosecute him (and persecute him) all over again if they gained power.
When they won the election, President Biden recognized that these vindictive, anti-American, anti-constitutional thugs would, indeed, harass and persecute his son for the next four years, along with James Comey of the FBI and countless others. Pardoning them was not only JUST, it was the only possible way to avert at least some of the worst excesses of the current regime of terror. (Need I remind you that that regime is already arresting judges, Democratic members of Congress and mayors, and thousands of residents, using masked, black-clad Gestapo troops in unmarked vehicles????)
So comparing what President Biden did with what Trump and others are doing is the height of false equivalence and sophistry.
Furthermore, as a professor of Political Science(!) at an Ivy League university, you should damn well know how to spell the name of former President Dwight D. EisenHOWER -- not Eisenhauer.
Yeah, it does feel like both-sidesism to mention Biden in the same breath with what Trump is doing. Biden could have gotten rid of David C. Weiss, whom Trump had brought in to investigate the Bidens. It would have been perfectly legal. But Biden kept Weiss around. Weiss asked to be made a Special Counsel, and Biden's AG gave him that status. Weiss himself was the one who said that the Republicans' star witness accusing the Bidens of terrible things was, in fact, a Russian agent, and should be locked up. But because Weiss made a deal with Hunter Biden and then broke it, and Biden worries about his one living son who is not well, and he knows how dishonest and vengeful Trump is, he pardoned his son -- and others Trump planned to go after. There's really no comparison between that and how Trump uses the power to pardon.
There HAVE been various favors for pardons in the past.
However, this is the first president who so openly monitized his ability to pardon. It seems that anyone with a million dollars or some favors to offer will get the “Get out of jail free” card.
This is pure corruption!
I'm with the others taking umbrage at the comparison of Biden pardoning his son and other family members with the lawless insanity Trump has undertaken. I have happily paid for a subscription to the Contrarian for months now; this has changed my mind. I thought this was supposed to be independent media, with none of the egregious "both-sideism" of MSM. Not so, apparently. I'm cancelling my paid subscription. There are other substack writers/groups that don't feel the need to paint Biden with the same brush as the TACO King that can use my money.
Wow, talk about false equivalency. Indulgences and over 1000 J6 criminals are the same as pardoning Hunter Biden? Are you interviewing for a job with WaPo??
Watching the hearings investigating the “ Biden Crime family”, I can understand why President Biden issued the pardons for Hunter and his family. If he hadn’t, they would probably be at some secret location receiving some horrible treatment. The MAGAS were out for blood. I understand your point that pardons are being abused. But don’t you think President Trump allegedly selling pardons is the worst ? Even some Democratic Senators criticized President Biden for the pardons. But these are the same people who screamed President Trump is ending our democracy but voted to confirm many of the administration’s cabinet nominees. I think everybody should get off their high horse and coalesce our efforts to oppose this administration!
Surely it’s not a coincidence that those in his most recent batch of pardons seem to favor business practices very similar to those of the president and his organization—tax evasion, fraud, bribery, and the occasional threat of extortion. They’re his kind of people.
The United States can't even get an Amendment to the Constitution saying corporations are not people. There's no way there'll be anyway to curtail Presidential or Governor's power.
On the other hand, the pardon option used by state governors goes unmentioned.
I am a now-retired public defender trial lawyer from the 1980s New Orleans area. Among other phenomena, I have never had a client get a pardon in my career, and seeing that public defenders as a class are low men on the criminal justice totem pole, I can see why.
I now strive to convince state governors to issue clemency orders for men and women sentenced to die for their heinous crimes, some of which are results of mental distress caused by family history, inept lawyering for the client and/or disadvantaged upbringing. It is a fact that over 200 people since 1976 have been exonerated by post-trial lawyers and courts - salvaged from death sentences - and released as actually innocent.
Almost never does this salient fact obtain favorable results in the political forum; nonetheless, clemency can (and should) take the form of removing the client from the death list and turn into LWOP a la Biden's action in commuting most of the federal death row inmates. (Of course, his successor in office will try to reverse this common-sense action).
In sum, knowing all this and adding thereto all the pain of both victims' and clients' families over the decades of awaiting the advent of a death warrant in prison, it is obvious that the DP is a useless and ugly carbuncle on the face of American justice. It is a hangover from the colonial days when "vengeance is mine, says the Lord" was translated into execution warrants. Few speak up for those who have neither the resources nor the consideration given those who are routinely granted pardons for their own heinous actions, as well-presented in this article.
May God have mercy on all of us.
Donald J. Trump, one of the most aggrieved victims in the history of the world, if you were fool enough to believe sounds parting his lips as truthful, non-fiction. His delusion (or more likely, his mendacity) is so inculcated into his ego he is certain, beyond doubt, that he is the personification of victimhood. As such, each felon who shares his same penchant for lawlessness or entitlement, becomes a person with whom he relates. His penchant for bestowing these undeserving clemency orders is his way of attempting to justify his own felonious and corrupt impulses. During the first 250 years of the U.S., history will judge Trump as the most dishonest, corrupt holder of the office of Presidency.
... provided our democracy survives!! I cannot understand why the more powerful among us have not put a sudden end to the appallingly criminal trump machine. Arrest him, convict him, imprison him or impeach him ... whatever it takes!!