In the annals of American history, few figures cast as long and sinister a shadow as Donald Trump. From his days as CEO of the Trump Organization to his tumultuous presidency, Trump has left a trail of deceit, fraud, and criminality in his wake. But perhaps even more troubling than Trump himself is the cabal of enablers and accomplices who have aided and abetted his reign of lawlessness.
For decades, Donald Trump has operated with impunity, evading justice as he built his empire on a foundation of fraud and deception. From dodging taxes to defrauding investors, Trump and his cronies have built their empire on a foundation of lies and deceit.
But it is not just financial crimes that have defined the Trump era. Trump’s brazen attempts to overturn the 2020 election and his relentless attacks on the rule of law have laid bare the depths of his depravity.
Compounding the issue, he weaponized the power of the pardon to shield his criminal associates from accountability, plunging the nation into a constitutional crisis and eroding the foundations of justice.
Trump’s misuse of the pardon power was not merely an act of mercy or compassion; it was a calculated scheme to protect his inner circle and perpetuate a culture of corruption within his administration.
Take, for instance, Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman and convicted felon. Manafort’s crimes—including bank fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy against the United States—were so egregious that they warranted a sentence of over seven years in prison. Yet, just like that, Trump swooped in and pardoned Manafort, effectively nullifying the verdict of a jury and sending a message that loyalty to Trump trumps all else.
Trump’s clemency spree also extended to other key figures in his orbit, including Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, and Steve Bannon, all of whom were convicted of serious crimes related to Trump’s presidential campaign and administration.
Stone, Trump’s longtime confidant and self-proclaimed “dirty trickster,” was found guilty of seven felonies, including witness tampering and lying to Congress. Yet, on the eve of his prison sentence, Trump intervened, commuting Stone’s sentence and sparing him from justice.
Similarly, Flynn, Trump’s disgraced former national security advisor, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials. Despite betraying the public trust, Flynn received a full pardon from Trump, effectively erasing his crimes and allowing him to evade accountability.
And then there’s Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist, who was indicted for defrauding Trump supporters out of millions of dollars in a scheme to build a border wall. Despite facing serious criminal charges, Bannon received a last-minute pardon from Trump, shielding him from the consequences of his actions.
But perhaps most egregious of all is Trump’s use of preemptive pardons to shield his allies from future prosecution. Nine members of Trump’s inner circle requested preemptive pardons in the wake of the January 6th insurrection, demonstrating a clear intent to obstruct justice and evade accountability.
As of now, the extent of secret preemptive pardons granted to individuals within Trump’s inner circle remains shrouded in uncertainty. Speculation abounds that the list could potentially encompass figures such as his daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner, as well as Representatives Jim Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ron Johnson, and others.
