Breaking News
Justice Dept Looking Into Bribery for Pardon Scheme
The Department of Justice is currently investigating alleged bribery for pardon scheme. On Tuesday, federal courts unsealed records pointing to potential criminal activity. It involves channeling money to the White House or Political Committee. In exchange, the donor obtains a presidential pardon.
RELATED: President Trump Pardons Michael Flynn
August Investigation
The DC District Court released 20 pages of partially blacked-out documents last Tuesday. It shows Chief Judge Beryl Howell's review of a request from federal prosecutors. They requested access to documents obtained during bribery for pardon investigation.
The papers do not show a timeline of the alleged activity. It also did not identify the people involved. However, it did determine that communications between people included at least one lawyer. The communications came from an office raided by investigators sometime during the summer.
Filter Team Access
A prosecution filter team went over more than 50 digital devices taken from a raid. The filter team looks for data for privileged information. Prosecutors cannot use this as evidence, nor can the government look at it. Attorney-client communications are often privileged information. As such, they are inadmissible as evidence in a court of law.
Prosecutors requested permission to the filter team's holdings. They believed the devices contained email communication that contains evidence of criminal activity. According to the documents, these include a “secret lobbying scheme.” It also includes a “bribery conspiracy” that offered “a substantial political contribution in exchange for a presidential pardon or reprieve of the sentence.” The document names the convicted defendant, but the copy released blacked the name.
Judge Howell Allows Access
In this case, Howell allowed the prosecutors access. The court suspends attorney-client privileges when discussing a crime, among other exceptions. Howell said the investigators can review the communications because the emails included someone who is not an attorney. “This political strategy to obtain a presidential pardon was ‘parallel' to and distinct from” one individual's role as an attorney advocate for another individual, the ruling said, redacting both names.
The opinion entered by Howell on August 28 focuses on an ongoing investigation that involves at least two individuals. They “acted as lobbyists to senior White House officials, without complying with the registration requirement of the Lobbying Disclosure Act.” The individuals attempted to secure a pardon or reprieve of sentence for'” an unidentified individual. The documents blacked out the individual’s name, as the investigation remains active.
Surrendered
The individual-centered in this case remained anonymous. However, the documents show the person faces a prison sentence. In addition, the person was about to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons. The government clarified that they found no communication tying the defense counsel to the unknown individual. This includes the months before “[redacted]'s surrender to BOP custody.”
It remains unclear what happens next. It is also unclear the investigation reached or will reach a grand jury. Also, the document includes a government statement that said it “identifies both individuals and conduct that have not been charged by the grand jury.” In addition, prosecutors opposed the public release of the months-old request. Instead, Howell asked to release a redacted version of the order. The case's docket remains under seal.
No Names
At this point, Justice has yet to file charges on anybody. A Justice Department official said, “no government official was or is currently a subject or target of the investigation disclosed in this filing.” Meanwhile, the White House declined to comment on the matter. Trump mentioned before that he might pardon some associates charged with federal crimes. For this investigation, there are no indications that these people are the same individuals as the DOJ investigation. Trump himself fired a tweet Tuesday night. He posted: “Pardon investigation is Fake News!”
Earlier, media outlets reported that lawyer Rudy Giuliani discussed pardons with the President. This included preemptive pardons for Trump's children Ivanka, Eric, and Donald. However, Giuliani denied the report. He said that the “(New York) Times is completely wrong.” Also, he denied asking for a pardon for himself.
Watch the CNBC News report on the DOJ investigation on the alleged bribery for pardon scheme:
Loading ...Do you think the bribery for pardon allegations reach all the way to the top? Or, do you think some officials are profiting from associating with the President? Let us know what you think about this case. Go to the comment section and share your thoughts on this matter.
22 Comments
It’s it could be very possible, but it would be one big coverup
I am thinking it is likely that previous administration, like Barack or Clintons, has done this. They, Democrats, seem to point fingers to someone else to take any focus off their own activities. What they have done is likely what they point out as someone else doing to taae attention from thei own wrong-doing.
It goes all the way to the top of Trump’s carrot colored head. What he’s done in the dark is coming into the light.
MSNBC is basing this off of one (1) HEAVILY REDACTED document,that is based upon an unsealed indictment, about “some kind of legal dispute”, & it’s MSNBC’s “top story of the night”?????????
Shep,give me a break,man!SMH!!!
If this is about any Presidential Administration, it’s either about Barry or Sluck Willie’s…
We know there was multitudes of instances of pay to play when Obama was president. Hillary garnered millions for the Clinton foundation. So did Biden, for his family, during the same time period. Furthermore, no one ever asked how Barack Obama got so rich by being president for eight years. Perhaps they should.
It appears as if Donald Trump is the one who is supposedly getting the money. That in itself is an ignorant statement. It has cost President Donald J Trump millions if not considerable millions if not billions to be president. Even beyond that he takes no salary so why would he do an underhanded thing like accept a bribe to pardon someone. If Trump is the target of such an accusation it is just more fake news.
HELL WE HAVE MORE IMPORTANT INVESTIGATIONS GOIMG ON THAT IT SEEMS NO ONE IS BEING CHARGED FOR OR HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR…LIKE….SPYING ON THE PRESIDENT…TRYING TO OVERTHROW THE ELECTED GOVERNMENT…RUSSIAN HOAX…..HILLARYS EMAILS….OBAMAS WHOLE ADMINISTRATION…..CROOKED HUNTER BIDEN AND THE BIG GUY……ECT ECT ECT ECT ECT….AND OUT OF EVERYTHING THATS GOING ON …THEY JUMP ON THIS SHIT???????? How about we investigate the taxpayers slush fund the democrats set up to pay off their sexually harassed victims…..how much was paid out on shifty shits 2 male boys that he kept stalking and harassing….or wrangles victims that taxpayers paid off so he wouldn’t be charged….plus many more….and then there’s the news media that should be charged as accomplices FOR NOT DOING THERE DAMN JOB OF REPORTING THE NEWS……… DONT WANT YOUR DAMN ONE SIDED OPINIONS…..JUST THE DAMN FACTS FAIRLY ON THE DEMOCRATS AND THE REPUBLICANS……NOT JUST ONE SIDE !!!!!!!!
My heart is breaking for our Country. Politically, We’ve become at best Venezuela, at worst, Nazi Germany. Despite overwhelming evidence of voter fraud that we have all seen, the once trusted Attorney General, says “there is NO evidence.” Is there “anyone” that the President can trust? Does anyone trust the FBI or the DOJ anymore? What is it going to take to get our Country back??? States are legalizing abortion right up to and including birth (we used to call that homicide), now you can “pick a gender” and be what you are not. There seems to be a total de-construction of reality. Riots in our streets created by Marxists, being labeled “racists” by the left if you complain about it, and you are “Xenophobic” if you think China is our enemy. Perhaps we are getting closer to feeding “The Tree of Liberty” with the blood of Tyrants and Patriots.
everyone is pointing the finger at everyone else, so what is the point, just get on with it
Well the Dem’s just cannot stop telling you what they have been up to again. Buying votes and pay to get out of jail card. This smells like Obama to me. Yes he can and he did.
The socialist liberal “treasons” demo-rats know that they have been found out and are now trying to change the course by accusing the administration, President Trump, of using their own slimey tactics that they have used in the past. When they get caught they change to BIGGER LIES to hide behind.
MSNBC & CNN are up to it again & New York Times, NBC, CBS, 60Min, are all crap! Along with Hollywood, Calif. (fruits & nuts)and etc.!!!!!!! If only we had true journalism that would investigate the faulty election, Biden Clinton & Obama corruption not even covered in news!!!!!!! Journalists should be ashamed of themselves——they are true idiots! Lemon head, Cummo, Wolf, people on MSNBC. …….are a disgrace. They act as if Biden is a savior when he can’t remember where he is at or or what he was running for. Obama ( a do nothing) thinks we are all uneducated. He is running for 3rd term! His comments lately shows him as a true idiot that did nothing for 8 yrs and wants to do it again to make him m more wealth at the taxpayers expense!!!!
When Will The Justice Department Investigate the Elections?
Can we just leave this fam8ly alone. The poor man has been under investigation since before he took office and nothing illegal was ever found. Give them a break. Besides he doesn’t need the money. How about the clintons who were going to d3clare bankruptcy before he left office now the are worth millions??? Same with Obama and Biden. Nobody seems to care about them. Leave 5he poor man alone. I’m so off politics anymore with all the corruption it’s all sickening. Trump to his credit came in a millionaire and I’d leaving a millionaire without taking some single paycheck for 4 years. Can any other President say the same!
This is another frame up they want use to stop Trump, they the swamp is as Evil and nasty, to try an attempt at every dirty trick in the book to overthrow this government, the rigging the 2020 presidential race with Dominion software and the open canvassing of mail-in ballots are just two examples,that ‘evil never rest’ to destroy this nation and enslave every being for their purpose.
The Justice Dept. Under trump loyalist bill barr has investigated election fraud & found their was practically none.When giuliani is asked by the Judge;Are u claiming Fraud?he replies NO.The smartest trump supporter is the idiot suing to get the $2.5 mill back that he donated to trump to battle the transition of PRESIDENT ELECT Joe Biden.
Democrats-good. Republicans-bad This the msm thinking all the time. Democrats can never, never ever do anything wrong.
This breaks right after Flynn gets pardoned. Anybody wanna bet the Dims try to connect the dots and try Trump again?
CNBC is, always will be, always has been full of shit!
Yep!
Well it would appear the loud mouth liar is getting caught at more of his schemes… It will be interesting to see who will get him first.., my wager is on the IRS… they’ve been waiting for a long time for him. It just goes to show that when you are mean and a bully and have little or no regard for your fellow man God will eventually see to it you pay the price.
We all know already that Obama (must I remind everyone NOT born in the USA), the Clinton foundation, Biden and his jokers, and our wonderful FBI and CIA all had their hands in this and all the other crap right down to being on that damned island, so stop acting as if you are above all of this and remember you also are the blue collar middle class.