Question for a Free Republic lawyer:
Can you pardon someone for offences until they are charged with an offence. I would like to see Eric Holder in jail tomorrow, but I can wait two years until Obama is out of office.
“Can you pardon someone for offences until they are charged with an offence. I would like to see Eric Holder in jail tomorrow, but I can wait two years until Obama is out of office.”
I am not a lawyer, but Presidents can issue blanket pardons. I believe the answer is that they can. President Obama could issue a pardon for all of the people in his administration for anything committed while they were in office, I believe, maybe for anything committed up to the time of the pardon.
I do not think that he could issue a pardon for future acts.
Such a blanket pardon might be an impeachable offense, however.