Trump is trying to bury something big -- and he just gave away the game: ex-prosecutor

[LetMyPeopleVote]

I agree with the other legal types who believe that a President cannot pardon himself. It seems that trump is trying to ignore this fact

Scholars have long argued a president cannot legally pardon themselves, but a new DOJ settlement may have just achieved that result. The agreement wipes the slate clean for everything from private tax matters to family business ventures, completely blocking the DOJ, IRS, and SEC from taking action.

— Raw Story (@rawstory.com) 2026-05-20T17:00:17.965Z

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-settlement-2676917477

Donald Trump just signaled he is trying to get away with something big, according to an ex-DOJ lawyer.

Former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance is raising alarms over what she calls a "pardon on steroids" — a one-page Justice Department settlement, signed quietly Monday by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, that shields Trump, his family, and his businesses from any federal prosecution or civil action for crimes "presently known or unknown."

And Vance says the most pressing question is what, exactly, Trump is trying to bury.

"The optics of this are so bad that it's hard to believe Trump would expose himself to their consequences unless he really needed this deal," Vance wrote in her Civil Discourse newsletter Tuesday. "The protection it offers must be essential in some way we are as of yet unaware of."

The Supreme Court's 2024 immunity ruling already shields Trump from prosecution for official acts. But Vance noted that personal business dealings, tax matters, and private transactions fall outside that umbrella — and those are exactly the areas the new settlement wipes clean.,,,,

Legal scholars have long argued a president cannot pardon himself. Vance says Trump just found the workaround.

"There is no hint in the document of what consequence Trump may be trying to avoid. But many legal commentators believe that while a president’s pardon power is broad, it’s not so broad that he can pardon himself," the ex-federal prosecutor wrote. "Here, Trump seems to have found a way around that limitation, obtaining a pardon equivalent and then some for himself and for his family."

[The Wizard]

1. I expect the same as usual

nothin will result to make him comply. Send him to Elba.

[Just Jerome]

10. Send him to hell.

Bah!

[FakeNoose]

16. He can go to Cuba

As soon as get gets there we revoke his US passport and citizenship....

[Irish_Dem]

2. The Trump Crime Family does not want to be hampered by US law.

[sop]

3. The next Democratic president, his/her AG and the new head of the IRS can simply revoke this agreement.

From what I've read, the IRS "immunity agreement" granted to Trump is not an official "statutory IRS Closing Agreement," it is simply a one page memo written by Todd Blanche, Trump's personal attorney, now the acting AG. This "agreement" isn't valid, and it can't provide any immunity without judicial approval.

IRS.gov: "A statutory IRS Closing Agreement (authorized under Internal Revenue Code Section 7121) is a final, legally binding contract between a taxpayer and the IRS. It conclusively settles specific tax issues or total tax liability for past or future taxable periods, and can only be reopened in cases of fraud, malfeasance, or misrepresentation of a material fact."

[Cha]

4. Shit. On the bright side, PEDO is

looking more embalmed every day.

[canetoad]

5. I thought he looked

Botoxed to the eyebrows but realised that's not a new photo. He hasn't had that much yellow hair for a coupla years.

[Cha]

6. Oh that's right... and that pic

doesn't show the turkey neck.

And, that yellow hair

He still looks embalmed to me, though.

TY!

[MorbidButterflyTat]

7. Piggy's trying to get away with something big???

No way!

In that pic he's saying, "See my big, beautiful bullet hole?"

[Ponietz]

8. No one gave away the game

except the dumbfuck Americans who either didn’t vote or voted for him. The game has been obvious since he first opened his mouth.

[a kennedy]

9. Just gawd damn it!!!!!! WHEN IS HE EVER GONNA BE HELD GAWD DAMN RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL HIS SHIT!!!!!!

🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬

[calimary]

11. THIS!!!

THIS!!!!!

THIS RIGHT HERE!!!!!

YES, DAMMIT!!!!! You bet your sweet patootie I’m shouting!!!!!

[IronLionZion]

12. Orrex has a daily thread on how this ends

His consequences will be in the afterlife apparently.

[cstanleytech]

13. Our only slim hope is that the Supreme Court throws the deal out.

[70sEraVet]

15. Slim, indeed.

[70sEraVet]

14. So, the $1.8 billion getting handed out to his most rabid followers.....

serves as a smokescreen for the REAL corruption! Democrats have been so incensed that violent Jan6ers might get rewarded for trying to overthrow the government, that the real goal of the criminal enterprise (a goal that may be worth WAY more than the 1.8) slips under the radar.

[flashman13]

17. What an acting MAGAt AG can do, a new Democratic AG dedicated to law and justice can undo.

By what authority can Blanche issue such a document nullifying numerous laws? IMHO Blanche is an unconfirmed nobody.

[yellow dahlia]

18. It seems a logical conclusion - what are they hiding?

[ColoringFool]

19. My Guess Has Always Been Homicide. Of A Minor.

[CoopersDad]

20. The sham agreement will be undone once we take back Congress. eom

[lame54]

21. It's temporary...

It will pretend to be valid as long as they are in power
Then the courts will spit it out

[KPN]

22. The question I have is does the DOJ have unassailable authority

to create and commit to a settlement like this? I would think a future AG or Special Prosecutor could negate this action by challenging its constitutionality, and investigating and subsequently prosecuting key players involved in the “negotiation”, development and approval of the settlement.