President Trump on Tuesday night dismissed reports of a federal investigation into an alleged bribery plot against the White House, calling the probe ‘fake news.’
A court memo unsealed earlier on Tuesday revealed the Justice Department is investigating an alleged scheme by two officials who sought to bribe the White House earlier this year in exchange for a presidential pardon for an unidentified prisoner.
The information was contained in a federal judge’s memorandum opinion from August on the subject of sealing information relating to people who have not been charged by a grand jury.
Although heavily-redacted, the memorandum mentions an alleged ‘Bribery-for-pardon scheme’ that went all the way to the White House.
A Justice Department official who spoke on condition of anonymity told AP that no government official was or is a subject or target of the investigation.
Trump later responded to the reports in a tweet saying: ‘Pardon investigation is Fake News!’ but did not further elaborate.

An unsealed court memorandum reveals an alleged ‘bribery-for-pardon’ scheme without disclosing who was involved

Trump later dismissed the reports on Twitter as ‘fake news’ but did not further elaborate
The unsealed court document described a ‘secret lobbying scheme’ in which unidentified people acted as lobbyists to ‘senior White House officials’ without complying with registration requirements.
It also describes a ‘related bribery conspiracy’ where a person ‘would offer a substantial political contribution in exchange for a presidential pardon or reprieve of sentence for [redacted].’
The memo also mentions people acting as ‘intermediaries’ for the proposed bribe. And it describes a person who surrendered to the Bureau of Prisons ‘custody,’ suggesting they were jailed at the time of the alleged bribe offer.
Its release set off an immediate guessing game about who was the lawyer who had entree so senior White House officials as well a person who had made big campaign contributions and was connected to someone who was incarcerated.
The information was disclosed as the government seeks the court’s permission to access communications and gets around potential attorney-client privilege issues.
It is contained in a memo by D.C. District Court Chief Judge Beryl Howell.
A hearing occurred on August 25, in the heat of the presidential election, although it was kept under seal as Americans prepared to go to the polls.
It notes that communications where a redacted person who participated or was a recipient in a bribery scheme ‘is not protected by the attorney-client or any other privilege.’

The heavily-redacted memo mentions a ‘Bribery-for-pardon’ scheme

Pardons were put back on the radar last week as Trump pardoned former National Security Advisor Mike Flynn, whom Trump has long claimed was mistreated

President Donald Trump is said to have been asked by his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani for a pre-emptive pardon, the New York Times reported Tuesday
It also mentions a government filter team, who would be charged with reviewing materials and separating out privileged information.
The entire background section in the 20-page case is redacted.
The ‘Discussion’ portion of the memo points to a person ‘who is an attorney’ and says someone sought assistance ‘as a personal favor’ and asked an unidentified person ‘to use his political connections.’
The pardon scheme was distinct from the person’s role as an ‘attorney-advocate’ for another person or cause.
The attorney client privilege ‘does note protect communications disclosed to third parties,’ the memo notes.
It is the president who has the sole power of pardons for federal offenses, although there is an official pardon office set up under the Justice Department.
The news broke on a day when the New York Times reported Trump had been asked by his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani for a pre-emptive pardon.
A footnote notes that emails don’t show any ‘direct payment’ to [redacted] by [redacted].
It said instead that a person ‘expected’ [redacted] to assist in obtaining clemency for [redacted] due to [redacted]’s past substantial campaign contributions.
The government wanted the information sealed because ‘individuals and conduct’ have not been charged.
Trump ‘discussed pardons for Ivanka, Eric, Don Jr, Jared Kushner and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani because he’s worried Biden administration may seek retribution against him by targeting them’
President Donald Trump has reportedly been in talks with his advisers about pardons for his children Ivanka, Eric and Don Jr, as well as his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
According to the New York Times, the president is worried that a Biden administration may seek retribution against him by targeting the oldest of his five children.
However, presidential pardons do not provide protection against state or local crimes. The president reportedly asked aides if he has the right to pardon himself and family members and has even asked if he could issue pardons pre-emptively for things people could be charged with in the future.
Don Jr had been under investigation for contacts that he had with Russians offering damaging information on Hillary Clinton during the 2016 campaign.
He was investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller but he was never charged.
According to the Times, Kushner provided false information to federal authorities about his contacts with foreigners for his security clearance. Despite that, he was given a security clearance anyway.
It’s unclear why Trump is concerned about potential criminal exposure of Eric or Ivanka.
But, the Times reported that a probe by the Manhattan district attorney into the Trump Organization is now including tax write-offs on millions of dollars in consulting fees, some of which appear to have gone to Ivanka.