that an impeachment can't be undone by a pardon. Pardons are used to relieve the pardonee of the burden of a criminal conviction, which impeachment is not.

The Senate has the power, upon conviction on impeachment, to disqualify the impeachee (I hope that's a word...if not, I just invented one) from holding any office in the future. The capacity to pardon for an impeachment would effectively neuter that power, and that was emphatically NOT in the Framers' intention.

In other words, President Pence couldn’t pardon Trump’s impeachment.

eom

That's what Ford did for Nixon. Although I didn't realize it then, the pardon was obviously the price the Republicans paid for getting him to resign quietly instead of fighting it out any further. I have absolutely no doubt that Trump would demand the same quid pro quo and a significant financial payoff (like all government personnel being pushed to stay at Trump hotels) and even then, I can't see him quitting.

In 1980 when he said that Ford could not issue a pre-indictment pardon. It really is an insane power granted by the Founding Fathers.

But it's hardly the only stupid law (or precedent) around.

Reminds me of the bishops granting full forgiveness before battle, so that no one will die unshriven.

-- Mal

Only those that occured before the pardon.

We dont issue carte blanche letters.

Nixon was never charged.... But he was pardoned by ford premptively. A president has broad pardon powers at the federal level; about the only crimes thet cant pardon are future crimes.

But he wasnt impeached either; no full house vote had been taken.

Some experts say it does mean he can no longer be pardoned and others don't, so it is not so cut and dry. Not sure who to listen to but I will go with what the constitution experts say.

Impeachment can't be pardoned. Being impeached does not, however, disallow pardons for other crimes, notional or otherwise.

-- Mal