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President Trump just issued new pardons, including for ex-Rep. Duncan Hunter. Prosecutors described Hunter as someone who"abused his position from the very beginning" of his political career." https://jonathanturley.org/2017/08/31/the-checkered-history-of-presidential-pardons-from-from-lupo-the-wolf-to-big-george-caldwell-to-sheriff-joe/
In March of this year, the DOJ issued a statement on Hunter: “Rather than admit his guilt and resign his seat when the charges came to light, or even when he was originally charged, Hunter chose to mislead the more than 700,000 people who live in the 50th congressional district.”
...It added "As we now know, Hunter lied to the people about his guilt. Not once, but countless times." https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/former-congressman-duncan-d-hunter-sentenced-11-months-prison-stealing-campaign-funds That was just a few months before he was given a full pardon by the President.
...The Office of Congressional Ethics also made findings against Duncan Hunter for converting campaign money into a personal bank account, including paying for the flight of a pet rabbit. https://www.rollcall.com/2019/12/09/duncan-hunter-and-the-case-of-rabbit-flights-nfl-red-zone-hbo-and-more/
The convictions of Hunter and ex-Rep. Chris Collins shocked many members of Congress. Ethics has long been treated more as an abstraction, if not a distraction, in Congress. It is not surprising that both pardons were supported by current members. https://jonathanturley.org/2020/03/27/congress-moves-for-emergency-containment-of-ethics-outbreak/
If the President truly wanted to "drain the swamp," these pardons would seem to be nothing short of a swamp reclamation project with the reintroduction of the local fauna.
