- Donald
Trump Jr. has told associates he isn't expecting a pardon from his father and doesn't think he needs one, according to The New York Times. - President Donald Trump is expected to hand out dozens of pardons and commutations before his term ends at noon Wednesday, and pundits have wondered for months whether he'll put himself and family members on the list.
- The younger Trump hasn't been charged with any crimes but was under intense scrutiny during the special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into his family's ties with Russia. More recently, he spoke at the "Save America" rally that is at the center of his father's second impeachment trial.
As one of his final tasks in office, President Donald Trump is expected to issue dozens of pardons and commutations this week. After much speculation, his eldest son is not expected to be among those receiving one.
That, according to The New York Times, is because Donald Trump Jr. has said he doesn't think he needs it.
The Times cited sources as saying the younger Trump and his brother Eric would not receive preemptive pardons as part of a clemency list that was expected to be released Tuesday.
Preemptive pardons cover actions that have already taken place but have not been prosecuted. Neither of Trump's adult sons has been charged with a federal crime.
Probably the best-known preemptive pardon was that of Richard Nixon by President Gerald Ford. Nixon resigned as president during the Watergate scandal but had yet to be charged with any crimes.
Some do believe that Donald Trump Jr. may have cause for concern. He participated in the January 6 "Save America" rally that preceded the Capitol insurrection, telling the crowd that lawmakers needed to overturn the election results or "we're coming for you."
He has also been involved in several campaign scandals during his father's presidency.
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In August 2019, Lanny Davis, then a lawyer for Michael Cohen, told The Hill that Donald Trump Jr. could be indicted for his part in making hush-money payments to the porn star Stormy Daniels on behalf of his father.
"I do suggest, respectfully, that Donald Jr., based upon signing a hush-money check for his father - out of a trust fund, by the way, that was set up to prevent any money being spent that would help Donald Trump while he was president - out of that trust fund is where the Donald Jr. check was written, that is a crime," he said.
His receptiveness toward Russian help to take down Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign also came under intense scrutiny, though he did not face charges in connection to the special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, which did not find evidence of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Even so, his words seem to echo that of his father, who in June argued that he had "absolute" power to pardon himself but would not need to because he hadn't done anything wrong. It's never been tested whether the Constitution allows presidents to pardon themselves.
The president has privately debated for several months whether to issue preemptive pardons for his entire family, including son-in-law, Jared Kushner, believing that the family will be targeted by investigators when he's out of office. President-elect Joe Biden is set to be sworn in at noon Wednesday.
In the past, Trump has made no bones about using pardons to clear the names of friends and close associates, including Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, and Michael Flynn. In December, he drew ire for pardoning four Blackwater associates who were convicted of killing 14 Iraqi civilians, including two children.
On Monday, The New York Times reported that some of Trump's associates were collecting tens of thousands of dollars from wealthy people hoping for clemency from Trump.
It's unclear who will be on the clemency list expected Tuesday. The rappers Lil Wayne (who has pleaded guilty to a weapon charge) and Kodak Black (who is in prison) are among the names that have been floated.