GOP senator on Trump pardons: 'This is rotten to the core'

Sen. Ben Sasse Ben SasseGOP senator on Trump pardons: 'This is rotten to the core' No, Biden hasn't won yet — one more nightmare scenario Members of both parties hail Supreme Court decision MORE (R-Neb.) on Wednesday blasted President Trump Donald TrumpMcCarthy to offer UC request to revisit foreign spending in omnibus GOP senator on Trump pardons: 'This is rotten to the core' Trump pardons Manafort, Stone and Charles Kushner in latest round MORE’s latest pardons of political allies such as former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort Paul John ManafortGOP senator on Trump pardons: 'This is rotten to the core' Trump pardons Manafort, Stone and Charles Kushner in latest round Trump pardons draw criticism for benefiting political allies MORE and political adviser Roger Stone Roger Jason StoneGOP senator on Trump pardons: 'This is rotten to the core' Trump pardons Manafort, Stone and Charles Kushner in latest round Trump pardons draw criticism for benefiting political allies MORE as “rotten to the core.”

Sasse issued his statement Wednesday evening, specifically mentioning Manafort and Stone.

“This is rotten to the core,” he said in a terse one-liner.

The statement by Sasse said that “felons like Manafort and Stone” had “flagrantly and repeatedly violated the law and harmed Americans.”

Sasse was the first GOP senator out of the gate to criticize the pardons. Others are likely to follow.

Trump also pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner Jared Corey KushnerGOP senator on Trump pardons: 'This is rotten to the core' Trump pardons Manafort, Stone and Charles Kushner in latest round Trump pardons draw criticism for benefiting political allies MORE. The elder Kushner pleaded guilty in 2004 of 16 counts of tax evasion and retaliating against a witness. He served two years in prison.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie Chris ChristieGOP senator on Trump pardons: 'This is rotten to the core' Trump pardons Manafort, Stone and Charles Kushner in latest round Trump's refusal to concede sows confusion among staff MORE, who prosecuted Charles Kushner at the time, said his crimes were among the most “loathsome” he had dealt with.

Rep. Adam Schiff Adam Bennett SchiffGOP senator on Trump pardons: 'This is rotten to the core' GOP puts pressure on Pelosi over Swalwell Trump pardons individuals charged in Russia probe, ex-GOP lawmakers MORE (D-Calif.), the lead Democratic prosecutor during Trump’s impeachment trial, called Manafort’s pardon particularly outrageous.

“During the Mueller investigation, Trump’s lawyer floated a pardon to Manafort. Manafort withdrew his cooperation with prosecutors, lied, was convicted, and then Trump praised him for not ‘ratting.’ Trump’s pardon now completes the corrupt scheme. Lawless until the bitter end,” Schiff tweeted Wednesday.

Several Senate Republicans urged Trump to avoid sparking a scandal over pardons.

Sen. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsGOP senator on Trump pardons: 'This is rotten to the core' Relief bill's passage sets off scramble to declare victory, assign blame Congress passes .3T coronavirus relief, government funding deal MORE (R-Maine) earlier this month advised that Trump follow the recommendations of the Justice Department's Office of the Pardon Attorney.

“In general, I think presidents ought to take the advice of the pardon office that is within the Department of Justice,” she said. “But the president’s pardon authority is very broad.”

Sen. Pat Toomey Patrick (Pat) Joseph ToomeyGovernment used Patriot Act to gather website visitor logs in 2019 Appeals court rules NSA's bulk phone data collection illegal Dunford withdraws from consideration to chair coronavirus oversight panel MORE (R-Pa.), who is retiring from Congress at the end of 2022, said, “I think pardons should be used very judiciously.”

Trump’s controversial pardons are likely to spark further debate about whether the president’s broad constitutional power over federal sentences needs to be reexamined.

Paul Rosenzweig, who served as a prosecutor during the Whitewater investigation into former President Clinton, wrote in The Atlantic on Wednesday that one of the nation’s founding fathers, George Mason, foresaw the possibility that future presidents could use pardons to help political allies or accomplices.

Mason argued the president “ought not to have the power of pardoning, because he may frequently pardon crimes which were advised by himself.”

“It may happen, at some future day, that he will establish a monarchy, and destroy the republic. If he has the power of granting pardons before indictment, or conviction, may be not stop inquiry and prevent detection?” he wrote.