Trump lawyers asking about presidential pardon powers: report

President Trump’s lawyers are looking into the president’s authority to grant pardons in connection with the special counsel investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential election, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

Trump himself has talked to advisers about his ability to pardon his aides, family members and himself in the investigations, according to the Post, though one adviser cautioned that the president’s inquiries were made in curiosity, rather than in connection to the Russia probes.

“This is not in the context of, ‘I can’t wait to pardon myself,’” the adviser said.

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Democrats have raised concerns in the past that Trump would pardon anyone who is convicted in the ongoing Russia investigations.

Trump’s lawyers have reportedly been discussing presidential pardons among themselves and are also looking at ways to undercut or limit the special counsel investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

That includes putting together a list of special counsel Robert Mueller’s potential conflicts of interest, which could potentially be cited by an attorney general to fire Mueller. 

Trump has voiced much frustration over the ongoing special counsel investigation into Russian efforts to meddle in the 2016 election, calling it a “witch hunt” and a “cloud” hanging over his presidency.

The Washington Post report comes a week after reports that Donald Trump Jr. met in June of 2016 with a Russian lawyer who promised damaging information on then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. 

Trump Jr., the president and other administration members have come under fire following the reports of the meeting, which has added to speculation that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during the election.