Rudy Giuliani has asked Donald Trump about receiving a pre-emptive pardon before he leaves office – while claiming he can secure him a second term by overturning election results
Donald Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani has reportedly discussed a preemptive pardon for himself with President Donald Trump – even while arguing he can overturn the results of an ‘illegitimate election.’
The former New York mayor has been the most vocal and out-front defender of Trump’s unsubstantiated charges of election fraud, seeking to persuade numerous states that went for Joe Biden to overturn their results.
But Giuliani and Trump also have discussed the former New York Mayor’s future, the New York Times reports.
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The two men have discussed the topic in the past and it is not clear who brought up the idea.
They discussed a possible pardon last week, two sources told the paper.
On the day before Thanksgiving, Trump pardoned former National Security Advisor Mike Flynn, who had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his Russia contacts, then sought to withdraw the plea in court.
Giuliani has reportedly been under investigation by federal prosecutors in New York over his work in Ukraine, which became the heart of Trump’s impeachment.
On Monday, Giuliani associate Lev Parnas pleaded not guilty to defrauding in investors through the Florida-based company he set up, called Fraud Gauranatee.
The Ukraine-born Parnas assisted Giuliani in his efforts to dig up dirt on the Bidens in Ukraine.
U.S. intelligence alerted the White House last year that a Russian intelligence officer was seeking to feed disinformation to Giuliani in his efforts to uncover information in Ukraine.
There is precedent for presidents using their virtually limitless pardon power preemptively.
Gerald Ford famously pardoned Richard Nixon, and paid a political price for it.
There has also been talk in legal circles about whether Trump could seek to issue a self-pardon in order to wipe away potential legal exposure. Even if it were upheld, Trump could still be subject to prosecution in state courts. New York investigators have already been investigating alleged possible insurance and financial fraud.