1/ Reporting is that @realDonaldTrump lawyers advised him of dangers of considering pardons during investigation. Trump’s Lawyers Urged Him to Postpone Even Considering Pardons in Russia Inquiry nyti.ms/2o6Iixq
2/ I wrote here about these dangers, about why dangling a pardon could amount to obstruction of justice: justsecurity.org/54356/dangling….
3/ The reporting today suggests that @realDonaldTrump agreed with the advice not to consider pardons during the investigation. But that is not consistent with all of his statements.
4/ The way he has talked about the investigation ("witch hunt") and those charged like Manafort (a "brave man" who has "refused to break") keeps discussion of a pardon in the air.
5/ When asked if he would consider a pardon, he responds by laying out the arguments for a pardon: everyone does the conduct charged, the charges relate to old conduct, the person charged is a good person, the process is unfair.
6/ The continual denigration of the investigation and charges brought against accused persons, and the extolling of the virtues of those charged persons (unless they cooperate, at which point they are discarded), keep the hope of a pardon alive for defendants like Manafort.
7/ Does anybody doubt for a moment that Manafort is hanging tough and not cooperating because he has been hearing what the @realDonaldTrump has been saying, and he is hoping for a pardon? End.
