"Biden White House Is Discussing Preemptive Pardons for Those in Trump’s Crosshairs"

For some reason this brings to mind the email that Barack Obama confidante Susan Rice sent to herself on their last day in office, January 20, 2017.* 

(actually at 12:15 pm, 15 minutes after President Obama's term ended)

From Politico, December 4:

The nomination of Kash Patel, who has vowed to pursue Trump’s critics, as FBI director has heightened concerns within the president’s inner circle. 

The remarkable, 11-year breadth of Joe Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter illustrated how worried the White House is about Trump officials seizing any potential openings for prosecution.

Jonathan Martin is POLITICO’s senior political columnist and politics bureau chief. He’s covered elections in every corner of America and co-authored a best-selling book about Donald Trump and Joe Biden. His reported column chronicles the inside conversations and major trends shaping U.S. politics.

President Joe Biden’s senior aides are conducting a vigorous internal debate over whether to issue preemptive pardons to a range of current and former public officials who could be targeted with President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House, according to senior Democrats familiar with the discussions.

Biden’s aides are deeply concerned about a range of current and former officials who could find themselves facing inquiries and even indictments, a sense of alarm which has only accelerated since Trump last weekend announced the appointment of Kash Patel to lead the FBI. Patel has publicly vowed to pursue Trump’s critics....

....MUCH MORE

*Whether or not there is any wrongdoing and regardless of the proffered justification, this action sure would raise questions in the same manner as Ambassador Rice's email does.

Via Wikisource:

Susan Rice January 20, 2017 E-mail to Self (2017)
by Susan Rice

An email that Susan Rice sent to herself during her last day in office; an earlier partially redacted version is also extant

To: Rice, Susan E [email address redacted]

Cc: Ried, Curtis R. [email address redacted]

From: Rice, Susan E

Sent: Fri 1/20/2017 12:15:32 PM

Importance: Normal

Subject: Note to File [TOP SECRET, Record]

MAIL_RECEIVED: Fri 1/20/2017 12:15:33 PM

Classification: TOP SECRET
On January 5, following a briefing by IC leadership on Russian hacking during the 2016 Presidential election, President Obama had a brief follow-on conversation with FBI Director Jim Comey and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates in the Oval Office. Vice President Biden and I were also present.

President Obama began the conversation by stressing his continued commitment to ensuring that every aspect of this issue is handled by the Intelligence and law enforcement communities "by the book". The President stressed that he is not asking about, initiating or instructing anything from a law enforcement perspective. He reiterated that our law enforcement team needs to proceed as it normally would by the book.

From a national security perspective, however, President Obama said he wants to be sure that, as we engage with the incoming team, we are mindful to ascertain if there is any reason that we cannot share information fully as it relates to Russia.

Director Comey affirmed that he is proceeding "by the book" as it relates to law enforcement. From a national security perspective, Comey said that he does have some concerns that incoming NSA Flynn is speaking frequently with Russian Ambassador Kislyak. Comey said that could be an issue as it relates to sharing sensitive information. President Obama asked if Comey was saying that the NSC should not pass sensitive information related to Russia to Flynn. Comey replied "potentially." He added that he has no indication thus far that Flynn has passed classified information to Kislyak, but he noted that "the level of communication is unusual."

The President asked Comey to inform him if anything changes in the next few weeks that should affect how we share classified information with the incoming team. Comey said he would.

COPY — OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL RECORD NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION 

Roger that, "By the book," over.

Here's a copy of the original hosted at Politico. 

If interested see also this morning's "The bombshell hidden detail in Biden's Hunter pardon that means it could BACKFIRE and spark a catastrophe for the entire family, revealed by ALAN DERSHOWITZ"