are not, in Trump's opinion, serious crimes.

a way of denouncing them as unfair, over-zealous, persecuting evil gubmint bad cops. Goes with the RNC's war room strategy.

because their roots connect them.

somehow I don't see Trump among those Aspen's. I hope it's a hail Mary.

crowd at GOP fund raisers.

Scooter Libby represented Marc Rich, who another President not only pardoned but had released from federal prison. That President later expressed regret for issuing the pardon, saying that "it wasn't worth the damage to my reputation."

I guess cheetolini has no reputation to sully anymore.

But that only applies when they don't have unpardonable charges against them.

Money laundering is a state by state charge, correct?

New York has one, as well as a racketeering statute, and the NYAG is almost certainly getting ready to drop the hammer.

By granting Libby clemency, instead of a pardon, Bush made it possible for Libby to not testify against his co-conspirators in outing Valery Plame. If he's pardoned that is an admission of guilt and thus no excuse remains not to testify.
If democrats get control of either the house or senate they can reopen investigation into defacto treason by the Bush administration.