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Many Democrats, media, some Republicans expressing outrage at Trump commutation of Roger Stone sentence. Mitt Romney: 'Unprecedented, historic corruption.' 1/10 https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/byron-yorks-daily-memo-a-president-a-big-investigation-and-the-pardon-power
Think what you will of Trump's action. But unprecedented? Romney was apparently excepting GWBush 2007 commutation of Libby sentence, which 2007 Romney defended as 'reasonable.' (Romney would probably say Libby was not trying to 'shield' Bush.) 2/10
But does anyone remember Susan McDougal? Bill Clinton Whitewater partner was convicted of fraud, more. Independent counsel Starr raised possibility of reduced sentence if McDougal testified against Clintons. 3/10 https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/byron-yorks-daily-memo-a-president-a-big-investigation-and-the-pardon-power
Starr asked McDougal one question: 'To your knowledge, did William Jefferson Clinton testify truthfully during the course of your trial?' McDougal went to jail for contempt rather than answer. Demanded prosecutor resign. Never answered. 4/10
On Clinton's last day in office, he pardoned McDougal. By next year, she had published memoir, 'The Woman Who Wouldn't Talk.' Then was star of documentary, 'The Hunting of the President: The Ten-Year Campaign to Destroy Bill Clinton.' 5/10
Bill Clinton himself attended premiere of documentary. Susan McDougal was there. Clinton called her 'an American hero' for refusing to testify against him. 6/10
Clinton pardoned others. As @andrewcmcarthy notes, three convicted in Starr probe. Marc Rich. His CIA director. HUD secretary. Eight in Agriculture Dept investigation. 7/10
In those pardons, Clinton acted in large part because he believed the investigations into his administration and White House had been unfair. Does that sound familiar? 8/10
Fact is, Trump Stone commutation fits pattern of presidents granting clemency to those caught up in investigations targeting their administrations. (GHWBush did it too; in late 1992 he pardoned six convicted or pleaded guilty in Iran-Contra affair.) 9/10
None of that makes what Trump did right or wrong. But people around Washington should stop acting like it's something they've never seen before. 10/10 End. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/byron-yorks-daily-memo-a-president-a-big-investigation-and-the-pardon-power
