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Hours before the end: Trump pardons well over 100 people in one fell swoop - even an ex-chief strategist is there

2021-01-20T11:04:51.074Z


Actually, he was considered an outcast in the White House. Nevertheless, Donald Trump is said to have pardoned his ex-chief adviser Steve Bannon in the last hours of his tenure.


Actually, he was considered an outcast in the White House.

Nevertheless, Donald Trump is said to have pardoned his ex-chief adviser Steve Bannon in the last hours of his tenure.

  • Donald Trump's term of office ends on January 20, 2021.

  • According to insiders, the US president wants to give more than 100 pardons.

  • According to consistent US media reports, Trump is now supposed to have pardoned Steve Bannon - a few hours before the end of his term in office.

Update from January 20, 8:03 a.m

.: More and more details are becoming known about Donald Trump's wave of pardons.

Trump has pronounced a total of 143 acts of grace.

73 people were

completely pardoned

, according to

CNN

.

Trump also signed 70 additional penal discounts.

This was officially confirmed recently, at one o'clock in the morning (local time) in Washington by the White House.

In addition to the most prominent beneficiary Steve Bannon, who is said to have embezzled $ 25 million in donations, there are a few other well-known names.

Overall, it's a mixed bag of Trump friends.

Two rappers are apparently there, Lil Wayne and Kodak Black (illegal gun possession).

As well as Salomon Melgen, a prominent ophthalmologist and neighbor to Trump from Palm Beach, Florida (health insurance fraud against seniors).

Hours before the end of his term in office: Trump pardons over 70 people

Update from January 20, 7:29 a.m.:

Now there is an official confirmation.

"President Donald J. Trump has pardoned 73 people," said the White House on Wednesday.

Apparently including his ex-strategist Steve Bannon.

Update from January 20, 6:55 a.m.:

Immediately before the end of his term as US President Donald Trump

pardoned

his former

chief strategist Steve Bannon

,

according to media reports

.

The reported the

New York Times

and the

Washington Post

in the

early hours of Wednesday (January 20, local time)

, citing

White House staff

.

There is currently no official confirmation from the White House.

The station

CNN

 has previously reported, Trump made the decision in the final hours of his term,

Bannon

to pardon.

Trump pardons ex-ally Steve Bannon

Bannon is co-founder of the Internet platform "Breitbart" and is one of the most influential voices in the

ultra-conservative camp of US politics

.

He was arrested that summer on charges of diverting money from an online fundraiser to build a

wall with Mexico

.

Bannon pleaded not guilty and was released on bail.

He presents himself as a victim of political persecution. The trial in the case should begin in May 2021.

Bannon joined Trump's team in 2016 and was in charge of the campaign.

The 67-year-old is said to have played a major role in Trump's surprising success at the time.

After the election victory, Bannon became Trump's chief strategist, but had to resign in 2017.

Critics accuse Trump of having exercised the power to pardon, in particular, for persons close to him.

Shortly before Christmas, he had pardoned several loyal companions, including the former head of his campaign team, Paul Manafort.

Update from January 18, 4:47 p.m.:

As the broadcaster CNN reports, it cannot be ruled out that

Donald Trump may

issue

advance pardons

for himself and his family

.

With this step, the US president can

prevent future criminal investigations

.

After the violent

storming of the Capitol

on January 6th, the self-pardon is controversial.

Because Donald Trump is accused of inciting his supporters with a speech about the outbreak of violence, he must

expect

criminal consequences

after his term in office.

If he were to pardon himself, the authorities would be

powerless

with regard to

future investigations

.

USA: Self-pardon is legally controversial - In case of doubt, the Supreme Court has to decide

In the US Constitution, the self-pardon of the US President is not clearly clarified.

There is

legal leeway which

, in case of doubt, must be filled by a ruling by the Supreme Court.

A

possible self-pardon has

no effect on the

impeachment proceedings

currently underway

against Trump

.

The constitution provides that the next step is for the

Senate

to decide on the procedure.

Ominous events: Trump attorney Giuliani offers pardon for two million dollars - FBI switched on

First report from January 18:

Washington DC - Donald Trump's term of office ends in a few days.

As President-elect Joe Biden prepares his inauguration, Donald Trump has uncertain days ahead.

Pending impeachment proceedings, threatened lawsuits and reports of financial disagreements weigh on the still-president.

Trump sees the last days of his tenure as a time to prepare for the future outside the White House.

Donald Trump: is he pardoning over 100 convicts?

As

CNN

reports, Trump has a

list of over 100 names

whose sentences are either to be lifted or at least reduced.

Trump has gladly made use of his

right to pardon

in the past

: As early as December 2020, Trump pardoned

loyal companions

, including

Paul Manafort

, his former campaign manager and his long-term confidante

Roger Stone

.

Charles Kushner

, father of Trump's advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner, is

among the pardons

.

The

Obama and Clinton administrations

also saw controversial pardons in the final stages of their terms.

However, it was rather not about people who had been convicted of crimes directly related to the president or his election campaign.

USA: Julian Assange on pardon list?

As

CNN

reports, prominent names are also on the list that the president has.

It is also speculated whether

Wikileaks founder and whistleblower Julian Assange is

one of the people on the list.

The US accuses the 49-year-old Australian of

espionage and betrayal of secrets

.

The background to this is the publication of secret military and diplomatic documents on the Wikileaks platform in 2010. Assange has been sitting in the English maximum security prison Belmarsh since 2019.

In the event of extradition to the USA, the Australians can expect up to

175 years in prison

- but recently a British court refused to do so.

Donald Trump's attorney Rudolph Giuliani campaigns for pardon against payment

As the

New York Times

reports, Trump's companions collect payments from convicts to appeal to the president for their pardon.

According to the information, a former top consultant received

over $ 50,000

to pardon

John Kiriakou

.

The former CIA official was convicted of divulging classified information.

Kiriakou was also offered that Trump's personal attorney Rudi Giuliani would take up the pardon.

For a payment of two million dollars.

Kiriakou turned down the offer and a confidante reported the matter to the FBI

But not only wealthy offenders consider a pardon request.

According to media reports, Trump himself saw an option in self-pardon.

As

reported by

CNN

, his legal experts advise against this step.

A self-pardon could be

interpreted

as an

admission of guilt

.

It also remains to be seen whether Trump's ex-confidante

Steve Bannon will be

pardoned.

Donald Trump: After a 17-year hiatus, death sentences are being carried out at the federal level

While Trump confidants can hope for a pardon, the US president is

merciless

when it comes to

executions

.

Most executions in the United States are carried out in the individual states, but

13 death sentences have been carried out at the federal level

during Donald Trump's tenure

.

Federal executions were not carried out for 17 years before the Trump administration carried out death sentences in mid-2020.

The last execution in Donald Trump's tenure was of

Dustin Higgs

.

The 49-year-old was found guilty in 2000 of abducting three women with two friends and ordering their killing.

Higgs' lawyer tried in vain to obtain a

pardon

, and the convict was

executed

on January

16, 2021

.

The Higgs execution was the

third in a week

and the last planned under Trump.

Joe Biden is considered an

opponent of the death penalty

.

Most recently, democratic party friends of the President-elect had announced that they would present a bill to

abolish the nation-state death penalty

.

In the coming legislative period, the Democrats will have a majority in the Senate and House of Representatives, so that the proposal could find broad support.

(

AFP

/

dpa / jf

) *

Merkur.de is part of the Ippen-Digital network.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-01-20

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