I DON’T THINK THIS IS AS CUT-AND-DRIED AS JONATHAN ADLER DOES: The Pardon Power May Be Broad, But that Does Not Mean a Self-Pardon Would Be Legit. The pardon power is not merely “broad,” it is plenary. The only limitation in the Constitution is that it may not be used to reverse an impeachment. Even the claim that a pardon may only be issued for an offense that has already been completed, made in Ex Parte Garland and Ex Parte Grossman, is only dicta. I have more on the pardon power here, though Adler cites far more comprehensive sources.
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