As Donald Trump faces yet another round of indictments, this time 13 unveiled against him in Fulton County, Georgia, he is confronted with a grim reality: There may not be anything he can do to make the new indictments go away.
As reported by Breitbart News, it is not only that these are state charges that would have to be pardoned at the state level (meaning Trump could not pardon himself as he could with federal charges were he to win in 2024); there is also the fact that in Georgia the governor does not possess the power to grant pardons, as is the case in some states.
In the Peach State, the pardon power is exercised by a five-member State Board of Pardons and Paroles. The members of the board are appointed by the governor for seven-year terms, and they’re not legally allowed to consider parole applications until the convict in question has already served five years of his sentence.
Thus, even if Georgia Governor Brian Kemp wanted to pardon Trump (and the relationship between the two Republicans is already frayed), the matter would be out of his hands.
ABC called the Georgia indictments against Trump “effectively pardon-proof, in the sense that with a federal case, if he wins the election, he can kind of make it go away.”
Please think about donating below.