Maybe the pensive look on Hillary Clinton’s face at yesterday’s inauguration was more than her thoughts of not being the one sworn in. The last minutes had ticked off for a possible pardon from President Obama. She now faces the fate of, if anything, President Donald Trump has in store for her with new Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Obama pardoned or commuted the sentences of more than 1,000 people, and it made him the most forgiving president in history. But as the clock struck noon in Washington, DC, it was apparent he did not intend to pardon Madame Secretary.
Why would the fellow Democrat ignore her legal plight? It could be the obvious; he doesn’t particularly like her and made her secretary of State to keep her political ambitions under wraps in his first term after beating her for the nomination of their party in 2008. They had once had harsh words and he is a man who does not forget.
Obama wasn’t anxious to see his legacy erode under Trump, but did he really trust the notorious flip-flopping Hillary to stay the course of his eight years? Did he consider her recklessness with her emails had already put him in an embarrassing situation. Did she ever consult him about her activities? Obama was the kind of man who felt he should personally have granted that approval.
But mostly, Obama has little idea what real trouble Hillary may be facing. He is well versed in what pardoning Richard Nixon did to the legacy of Gerald Ford. Would he be in a position where he would have to reveal exactly what he knew about her activities? Would he get cornered because of her wrongdoings? There is already a long list of people who had to be complicit if crimes were committed.
Trump has said he would not appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Hillary. But if the new attorney general thinks otherwise, all bets are off, to where it may go. Americans will be forced to revisit the likes of Hillary’s top aide Huma Abedin and her disgraced and separated husband former Congressman Anthony Wiener.
There will be probes into possible obstruction of justice related to the disappearance of all of Hillary’s private emails and the now-famous “secret” meeting of Bill Clinton with Attorney General Loretta Lynch and a number of other things including probes into the Clinton Foundation’s fundraising.
Hillary Clinton’s chance for a pardon ended Friday at noon. She is now naked in the winds of change. Her arch rival now holds the reins of her destiny. It might be wise for Hillary to plan a long vacation away from any microphones criticizing the new commander-in-chief who is known to have an elephant’s memory for enemy activity.
