Question on Presidential pardons

[midnight armadillo]

Can Bush on his way back to Texas in November pardon members of his administration who have not yet been indicted? Can he just blanket pardon Rove, Rumsfeld, etc. for their various crimes before the Kerry administration nails 'em all to the wall?

(assuming of course that Kerry wears his shit-kicking boots to his inaugural and seeks to right the wrongs of 4 years of Bush corruption)

[Walt Starr]

1. Good question. The answer is probably yes.

n/t

[cmayer]

2. My understanding is yes.

As proved by Iran-Contra.

(On edit) Good thing he can't pardon himself. And it doesn't pardon future crimes (like perjury.)

[LTR]

3. Ford did it for Nixon

He hadn't been charged yet.

I predict a pardon for Ken Lay and Neil BUsh.

[H2O Man]

4. Interesting question.....

of course, it would mean that bush admits they committed crimes, even before being charged.

[troublemaker]

5. Yes. His dad pardoned Cap Weinberger

who I don't think had been indicted for anything.

And of course Nixon, though that's so freakish a case it's poor precedent.

[FloridaPat]

6. He would have to specify which crime they would have been

guilty of.

[Vickers]

7. Ford didn't narrow it down for Nixon

"Now, therefore, I, Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States, pursuant to the pardon power conferred upon me by Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, have granted and by these presents do grant a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from July (January) 20, 1969 through August 9, 1974."