At a House hearing, Democratic Rep. Ivey asks Todd Blanche why no special prosecutor has been appointed to examine a Trump pardon he says looks like a quid pro quo. Blanche says the Constitution doesn't require the president to explain who he pardons and rejects the premise. Ivey reclaims his time: the pardon power does not cover pardons in exchange for payments, and he cites a $2.1 billion payment to Trump's family.
The receipt
- Who
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche
- Where
- hearing - House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science oversi
- Original footage
- MS NOW · watch the full video from this moment
- Length
- 53 seconds, unedited within the cut
- Plays
- 2,174 on Instagram
Read the transcript
So why haven't you just pointed a special prosecutor to take a look at this? This looks on its face, it just looks like a quid pro quo scenario that should be investigated. Why haven't you taken that step? Well, to be, look, the power to pardon in our Constitution is given to the President of the United States. The Constitution does not require him to provide any explanation for who he chooses to pardon or not pardon or commute or not commute. And so I don't I very much reject the idea that this the premise that this looks like something Is is a little let me do a point a special let me reclaim my time the Constitution gives him absolute power to pardon It does not give power to pardon in exchange for payments clearly and a 2 .1 billion dollar payment To his family and we'll set aside the fact that he should have divested from all those
Machine transcript of the clip's audio; names are checked, small words may differ.