Donald Trump set to issue wave of pardons before leaving office

Donald Trump is expected to issue a wave of pardons, including some related to the Russia investigation, in his final weeks in office.

It raised the possibility that the US president may also attempt to pre-emptively pardon himself to avoid any potential future legal entanglements.

On Wednesday night Mr Trump pardoned Michael Flynn, his former national security adviser, who had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversations with a Russian ambassador.

After doing so Mr Trump posted on Twitter comments from a close ally, Republican congressman Matt Gaetz.

Mr Gaetz said: “President Trump should pardon Flynn, the Thanksgiving turkey, and everyone from himself, to his administration.”

The question of whether a president can self-pardon has never been constitutionally tested and, if Mr Trump attempts to do so, it could end up in the Supreme Court.

Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, was national security adviser for two weeks at the start of Mr Trump’s administration. He had yet to be sentenced.

In a statement his family said he was the victim of a partisan prosecution and “hideous wrong”.

They said: “Tyranny will not topple us. Masks will not silence us. Threats will not stop us. Evil will not triumph. May God Bless President Trump.”

Mr Trump wrote on Twitter: “Have a great life General Flynn!”

The president is keen to undo, as much as possible, the results of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into links between his 2016 campaign and Russia, which he always maintained was a “witch hunt” by Democrats.

Others who could now be pardoned include Paul Manafort, his former campaign chairman who was jailed for fraud, his former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos, who served 12 days for lying to the FBI, and former senior aide Rick Gates, who was sentenced to 45 days for conspiracy.

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