Trump vs. the law

Undermining the rule of law for the umpteenth time, President Trump on Thursday wiped the slate clean for a criminal guilty of federal campaign finance crimes. Serious crimes, for which others have paid serious prices. After Trump did this for Dinesh D’Souza — who pleaded guilty in 2014 to making $20,000 in illegal contributions in other people’s names — the White House muttered something about “selective prosecution.” The President’s real motives are obvious to anyone who’s paying attention, and who watched him pardon lawbreaking Sheriff Joe Arpaio: to reward someone who strokes his fragile ego and spits on his predecessor, Barack Obama.

While, bonus, sending a second message that, hey, it’s A-OK to break laws governing money in politics if you have a friend in the highest place.

Par for the course, Trump did the dirty deed without even the slightest pretense of a formal process, sidestepping the White House Office of the Pardon Attorney, which typically weighs applications for leniency and recommends them, through the Justice Department, to the President.

How about that claim that D’Souza was singled out? The trial judge called the claim “all hat, no cattle” before doling out the reasonable punishment of five years of probation and a $30,000 fine.

Google — try it, Mr. President! — helps identify a few others who have been treated at least as harshly as D’Souza was.

Jenny Hou and Oliver Pan were charged with straw donor fraud for raising money for then-city Controller John Liu, a Democrat, and got sentenced 10 and four months in prison, respectively.

Albert Baldeo, a New York Democrat, was charged with crimes for soliciting approximately $15,000 in straw donations from seven individuals. In connection with that scheme, he got sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Sant Singh Chatwal, a Democratic fund-raiser, got three years’ probation and a $500,000 fine for sending illegal contributions, via straw donors, to three Democrats.

Trump now talks up the possibility of pardoning Martha Stewart, convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of an agency proceeding and making false statements to federal investigators. And Rod Blagojevich, convicted of lying to the FBI in connection with a scheme to sell an open Senate seat.

Not because they are worthy, but because they are former “Apprentice” castmates. Yes, that’s really what it has come to.