The curious question of the alleged $2 million pardons

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The allegation is part of a lawsuit filed this week by Noelle Dunphy, a woman who worked for former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani from 2019 to 2021. It reads:

[Giuliani] asked Ms. Dunphy if she knew anyone who needed a pardon, telling her he was selling pardons for $2 million, which he and President Trump would split.

If she did so, the allegation continues, she should refer people seeking a pardon to her, as long as they have not gone through the normal channels of the Office of the Pardon Attorney, “because such communications would otherwise be subject to the Freedom of Information Act requests.

This is a serious claim that, given the implications for Trump and his bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, deserves to be considered in the context of what we currently know.

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Dunphys’ lawsuit spans 70 pages, most of which articulate a host of other allegations about Giuliani. It’s an escalation from a lawsuit filed in January, seeking among other things $3.1 million in unpaid wages, punitive damages and legal fees. The new costume, however, goes further. Now seeking $10 million, it includes detailed allegations of abuse and harassment by Giuliani that are reviewed almost daily.

In a statement to reporters, Giulianis’ lawyers said their client unequivocally denies the allegations raised by Ms. Dunphy,” in addition to attempting to cast doubt on her credibility by including a pejorative quote from a former boyfriend.

It should be noted that in addition to screenshots of alleged text exchanges between Giuliani and Dunphy, the lawsuit also includes numerous references to conversations between Dunphy and Giuliani having been taped. This would include a recording of Giuliani consenting to be recorded by Dunphy (although New York, where most of the alleged interactions occurred, requires only one consenting party to be recorded). It also reportedly included Giuliani making derogatory comments about Jews, blacks and Hispanics.

But back to the allegations about pardons.

The allegation that Giuliani was offering pardons for $2 million has been made before. In January 2021, shortly before Trump left office, The New York Times reported that former CIA officer John Kiriakou had been told that Mr. Trump’s personal attorney, Rudolph W. Giuliani, could help him get a $2 million pardon. Kiriakou denied the request, but an associate worried about the legality of such an offer notified the FBI. Kiriakou was not pardoned.

The Times report on the small economy that sprung up around Trump’s clemency process spurred a request from Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) to the Justice Department.

I write with deep concern following recent reports that President Trump intends to grant up to 100 pardons on his last day in office, even as his close aides sell access to the President to those seeking clemency for thousands of dollars and potentially much more, Krishnamoorthi wrote to Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen. A representative from Krishnamoorthis’ office told The Washington Post on Wednesday that he does not believe the congressman received a response in part because the letter was sent on January 19, 2021, the day before President Bidens’ inauguration. and the departure from Rosens.

The letter also referred to another investigation into the pardon process revealed in a court filing the previous month.

The Justice Department is investigating a potential crime related to funneling money to the White House or a related political committee in exchange for a presidential pardon, according to unsealed court records Tuesday in federal court, CNN reported. Katelyn Polantz in December 2020. Polantz pointed out details in a heavily redacted court document.

He suggests that by reviewing documents collected from a number of electronic devices, investigators found emails suggesting a related bribery plot, in which [redacted] would offer a substantial political contribution in exchange for a presidential pardon or reprieve. Note that this is different from what is alleged about Giuliani; here, the court filing notes, the promise was for anticipated future substantial political contributions.

Dunphys’ lawsuit suggests the pardons comment took place in mid-February 2019. The bulk of Trump’s pardons took place after that time, including scores during the period between Trump’s loss in the election of 2020 and his departure from office. In fact, more than half of the pardons and commutations granted by Trump took place between January 6, 2021 and January 20 of this year.

Importantly, February 2019 was likely close to Giuliani’s peak of power with Trump. (During the same period, he reportedly told Dunphy that he had immunity to break the law thanks to his relationship with Trump. That conversation reportedly centered around Dunphys’ recommendation that Giuliani register as a foreign lobbyist given his work with Ukrainian officials that was likely tied to efforts to dig up dirt on Biden that led to Giuliani’s scrutiny and Trump’s first impeachment.)

While Dunphys’ presentation of his interactions with Giuliani is accurate, his description of Giuliani’s propensity for drunkenness and self-aggrandizement tends to diminish the idea that he and Trump had an agreement on granting cash pardons. . The Giuliani documented in the lawsuit constantly wants to impress Dunphy; perhaps any mention of pardons occurred in this same vein.

If Giuliani was not simply blowing smoke as Kiriakou’s anecdote suggests, the implications are far more serious.

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