Preemptive strike on pardons

Schiff, Warner launch preemptive strike on Trump pardons

By AUSTIN WRIGHT

The top Democrats on the congressional panels investigating Russia’s election meddling are warning President Donald Trump not to attempt to pardon his campaign aides whose alleged ties to Moscow are now under investigation.

The statements by Rep. Adam Schiff of California and Mark Warner of Virginia follow reports, including in The Washington Post, that Trump’s legal team is exploring the possibility of pardons.

Schiff called the reports “disturbing” and said it was something the president “should rule out categorically.”

Warner said pardoning individuals “at this early stage in these ongoing investigations” would be “crossing a fundamental line.”

Schiff and Warner are the top Democrats on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, respectively, which are investigating Russia’s interference in last year’s presidential election, including the possibility of collusion with the Trump campaign.

Schiff, in his statement, defended special counsel Robert Mueller, who is overseeing the FBI’s investigation into the issue. In an interview with The New York Times earlier this week, Trump indicated it would be a breach of Mueller's mandate to investigate the Trump family's finances. A day later, Bloomberg reported Mueller was expanding his probe to do just that.

"There is no doubt that Mueller has the authority to investigate anything that arises from his investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia, including financial links,” Schiff said Friday. “Indeed, this is a very important part of Mueller's responsibility given that any financial impropriety between Russia and the Trump organization, such as money laundering, could represent just the kind of 'kompromat' that Russia could utilize to influence administration policy.”