Rudy Giuliani Has Some Thoughts On Whether Donald Trump Can Do A Self-Pardon Before Leaving Office

He's not a constitutional law scholar, but he has some thoughts.

onJanuary 19, 2021 at 3:44 PMJanuary 22, 2021 at 1:08 PM

(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

I think any lawyer would have to tell you there’s nothing in the Constitution that permits it. There’s nothing in the Constitution that prohibits it. The plain language of the Constitution doesn’t limit who we can pardon. Do I think there’s justification for it because of the atmosphere we are in? Practical justification? Absolutely.

— Rudy Giuliani, who currently serves as Donald Trump’s personal attorney, commenting on his client’s ability to pardon himself. Other Trump advisers are wary of a self-pardon because it could open him to civil suits, as the pardon could be seen as an admission of guilt, but Giuliani doesn’t think it’s that big of a deal. “I mean his legal life’s gonna be complicated no matter what,” Giuliani said in an interview with ABC News. “Maybe because I’m more of a criminal lawyer than a civil lawyer, I’d much rather have my civil life complicated than my criminal life.”

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From Pilot and Above The Law

Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.