As much as it is justified, Hillary Rodham Clinton will never see the inside of a jail cell

Lock her up?  Ain’t never going to happen!

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It sounds good. Thousands of adoring Trump supporters chanting “lock her up” whenever the name of Hillary Clinton is mentioned. But it is unlikely to ever happen. Especially for crimes she might have committed prior to the election.

There can be little doubt should Clinton become the next president of the United States, she will be pardoned by Barack Obama prior to his leaving office on Jan. 20. The stage is actually being set for the justification for the issuance of a pardon should Clinton be successful on Nov. 8. Not that Obama ever needs a good reason to do anything.

Obama does not need a reason to pardon Clinton

Under Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution, the president has the power to grant reprieves and pardons and there are very few exceptions. A pardon can only apply to a breach of the law of the United States, not state or local laws. And the president cannot pardon someone for crimes they may commit in the future. The president also has no power to shield an office holder from impeachment by the House, followed by a trial in the Senate.

Contrary to the views some people hold, a person can receive a pardon for any federal offences they may have committed during a specified period. It is not necessary for them to have been convicted of a crime or even indicted. President Gerald Ford granted a pardon to Richard Nixon although Nixon had never been charged with an offence. The fact that Clinton will probably not be indicted before Obama leaves office does not preclude her being granted a pardon.

Obama does not need a reason to pardon Clinton although he is being given a good reason to. In an attempt to dissuade Americans from electing a blatant criminal to the highest office in the land, there has been a lot of talk of a “constitutional crisis” if Hillary is elected. She will be so busy defending herself she will not have time to govern (although the way she will govern, this could be a good thing). The U.S. will effectively be without a president and commander-in-chief. This gives Obama the perfect excuse to pardon Clinton so she can give people free stuff, bring in millions of refugees, disband America’s borders and of course raise taxes on those horrible rich people.

Obama cannot protect Clinton from possible impeachment

Although Obama cannot protect Clinton from possible impeachment, this raises another issue. Can a president be impeached for treason, bribery, high crimes and misdemeanors committed prior to that president holding office?  At least one expert says she cannot.

Michael Gerhardt, a law professor at the University of North Carolina, is a leading expert in impeachment who advised the House of Representatives during Bill Clinton’s impeachment. Gerhardt told Law Newz impeachment cannot be used to “re-litigate an election.” The professor went on to say the purpose of impeachment is to be able to remove someone in office for misconduct committed “while that official is in office.” A common sense view of impeachment suggests the wrongdoing must have occurred while in office.

If Donald Trump wins the White House on Nov. 8, Obama of course can still pardon Clinton. While the justification for the pardon would be less than if Clinton was president, Obama really doesn’t need a good reason to issue a pardon. Not having a reason Americans will buy for Obama doing something has never stopped him before. As long as he has his phone and his pen, Clinton will likely be the proud recipient of a presidential pardon.

While there seems to be less talk of others being pardoned, if Obama pardons Clinton, he will probably grant the same remedy to Bill and possibly Chelsea.

Obama will never admit he did anything wrong. He’ll just blame Whitey and the Republicans

Another question has been raised; one that has never been tested. Can a president of the United States pardon themselves? Should Hillary win, the authorities begin to close in and Obama’s busy playing golf, can Clinton grant herself a pardon? Well, the Constitution does not specifically give a president that power but then again, it is not specifically prohibited.

Obama himself is involved in allegations of wrongdoing by Clinton and could possibly face conspiracy charges. Will he try and pardon himself? This is not very likely because Obama will never admit he did anything wrong. He’ll just blame Whitey and the Republicans.

No matter who the next president will be, Americans will have to be satisfied with some of Clinton’s underlings getting jugged while she walks. Most notably of these is Huma Abedin who in one day went from being Hillary’s “second daughter” to merely “a staffer.” As much as it is justified, Hillary Rodham Clinton will never see the inside of a jail cell.

By Arthur Weinreb