Congressman Krishnamoorthi Pushes White House to Disclose Trump's Issued Pardons

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi today wrote to White House Counsel
Donald F. McGahn, calling on him to publicly disclose all pardons issued
by President Trump. Rep. Krishnamoorthi's letter comes in response to the
Washington Post’s report that President Trump and his legal team have
explored his power to pardon as a means of disrupting Special Counsel
Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016
election. The signed letter is available here and the text follows:

July 21, 2017

The Honorable Donald F. McGahn, II

Counsel to the President

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington, DC 20006

Dear Mr. McGahn:

It was reported on July 20, 2017, that President Trump has asked his
legal team about the extent of his pardon powers: whether they extend to
White House aides, family members, or even the President himself.

While most pardons are handled by the Office of the Pardon Attorney,
the President still retains the right to issue pardons to any person, at
any time, for any cause. The Office of the Pardon Attorney makes their
documents available, but there is no guarantee that all pardons issued
by the President will be made public. The President can grant pardons
after an individual has been incarcerated, before the sentence is
imposed, or – as President Ford’s pardon of President Nixon confirms –
before a charge is brought.

The power of the pardon extends far beyond the individual who
receives it. An individual with a secret pardon has a pre-emptive grant
of immunity from prosecution and is under no obligation to make that
fact public until charges are brought. This person would be unlikely to
cooperate with an ongoing investigation or testify against
co-conspirators in exchange for leniency.

Special Prosecutor Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference
in the 2016 election is a matter of utmost importance to the health of
our Republic. Americans deserve to know the full extent of this meddling
and the harm it caused. Those who aided and abetted it must be brought
to justice. Pre-emptive pardons will only serve to further obfuscate the
truth behind a fog of deceit.

I respectfully ask that you commit to making public all pardons
issued by the President. Robert Mueller’s team – and all Americans –
need to know who will be cooperating with the ongoing investigation

Sincerely,

Raja Krishnamoorthi

Member of Congress