Is Trump about to pardon Tiger King?
President could let off TV star, Ivanka... and himself
DONALD Trump could include Tiger King star Joe Exotic in a pardoning spree that will test the limits of presidential power.
Mr Trump is reportedly considering pardons for as many as 20 people before he leaves office, including the star of Netflix series Tiger King, his family and himself.
Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also known as Joe Exotic, is serving a 22-year sentence for a murder-for-hire plot that was chronicled in the hit show about his life. The only thing holding the President back from the spree is the worry that a pardon looks like an admission of guilt.
This is a particular concern when it comes to himself, his family and his personal lawyer.
Having lost the election, pardons are one of the few ways left for Mr Trump to exercise power before he leaves office on January 20.
This week Eric Love, an attorney for Mr Maldonado-Passage, told ABC News a pardon was possible. He said: ‘We are waiting on the pen to hit the paper, we think we are very, very close.’
A White House source confirmed to ABC News that they had heard from Mr Love.
Others in line for a pardon could include former contractors employed by private military company Blackwater who took part in the notorious shooting of Iraqi civilians in Nisour Square in Baghdad.
Seventeen Iraqis were killed and 20 were injured in the incident in September 2007 which led to four former contractors being found guilty in US courts.
It was reported that Mr Trump is considering a total of 20 pardons including aides and associates.
They may include personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani who is reportedly
‘Admission of guilt’
under investigation by federal prosecutors for his business dealings. Mr Trump may pardon his daughter Ivanka and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who both act as close advisers to him.
He may also consider one for himself, having tweeted ‘I have the absolute right to PARDON myself’.
The constitution is a grey area on a president self-pardoning and it would likely end up in the Supreme Court, with most scholars saying Mr Trump would lose.
Mr Trump’s 27 pardons so far have been based on showmanship and personal relationships.
They include 19th century suffragist Susan B. Anthony, former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, and former Trump adviser Roger Stone, who lied to Congress.
This month Mr Trump gave a pardon to his disgraced former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who admitted lying to the FBI.
This week, court documents were unsealed in Washington which revealed a ‘ bribery for pardon’ plot involving Mr Trump.
The scheme would allegedly involve an individual giving the President a large campaign donation in exchange for clemency. The New York Times reported that the plot involved associates of Hugh Baras, a psychologist who was jailed f or 30 months f or tax evasion and improperly claiming social security benefits.