Let me make sure I understand the timeline in this case (a case I’m just reading about for the first time now):
Bush could have pardoned Vela before he left office, correct?
Search under keyword Vela. There are some articles. I can tell you anything about this you might want to know, except for the stuff in the file buried under a top secret classification.
Yes, Bush could have pardoned him, but he didn’t want to do a bunch of pardons that would have tarnished his legacy like Bill Clinton did.