Washington - Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate panel
investigating Russian election meddling, warned Friday that President
Donald Trump should not pardon associates who could be implicated in
a separate criminal probe into the matter.
Warner's statement followed a report by the Washington Post that
Trump has recently discussed his presidential pardon power with
advisers, including asking about pardoning aides, relatives and
himself.
Citing unnamed sources familiar with White House deliberations, the
newspaper said that Trump's lawyers have likewise discussed pardon
issues, as well as researching ways to discredit the Justice
Department investigation being led by special counsel Robert Mueller.
The New York Times similarly reported that Trump's lawyers were
discussing how to inhibit the criminal probe.
"The possibility that the president is considering pardons at this
early stage in these ongoing investigations is extremely disturbing,"
said Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
"Pardoning any individuals who may have been involved would be
crossing a fundamental line."
He said that Russian interference in last years elections "was an
attack on our democracy."
The president's son, Donald Trump Jr, and Jared Kushner, the
president's son-in-law, are both believed to be part of the
investigation based on their contacts with Russia during the
campaign.
Former campaign manager Paul Manafort and top campaign advisor
Michael Flynn, who briefly served as White House national security
adviser, are under investigation for similar contacts.