5 ms·

What happens if they find her guilty after she is elected?

by tylerwhipple 10y ago

Waterluvian 10y ago
Impeachment and VP becomes president? Or personal pardon!
- criddell 10y ago
  That's what I was wondering too. Can't she just pardon herself?
  - Impl0x 10y ago
    Presidential pardons don't apply to impeachments, I believe.
  - phd514 10y ago
    Possibly, but pardons don't apply to impeachment, so she could still be removed as President.
    - sp332 10y ago
      Bill Clinton was impeached, but not removed from office.
      - maxerickson 10y ago
        I think even our partisan, dysfunctional congress would still impeach and remove a president that choose to pardon themselves and not step down.
        sp332 10y ago
        I only meant that they could "impeach" her over something but she could still be in office.
        criddell 10y ago
        Then what happens? Does Tim Kaine take over?
  - antognini 10y ago
    She certainly could. That is why the power of impeachment resides with Congress.
  - topspin 10y ago
    "Can't she just pardon herself?" Nothing explicitly prevents it. It doesn't really matter anyhow; Congress has the exclusive power to impeach. Impeachment is the mechanism the constitution provides deal with criminal presidents and the president can't block it. Make no mistake; the last thing Comey and Clinton+Obama et al. wanted was to fill news cycles with "FBI investigation reopened" 11 days out. It's bad, whatever it is, and this is a CYA move; Comey believes he needs to be able to claim he notified Oversight and made this public prior to the election.
- ktRolster 10y ago
  If you were a Republican, would you really want Tim Kaine instead of Hillary Clinton? That would be like Democrats impeaching Bush and getting Cheney instead.
  - babygoat 10y ago
    Where are you getting Cheney?
    - ktRolster 10y ago
      Vampires never die. He's in a dark room somewhere, I'm sure.
  - tomjen3 10y ago
    Why not? You want a truly insane person on the other side, that way at least you have a much larger target to attack.
iLoch 10y ago
Impeachment in all likelihood.
- pistle 10y ago
  If you can garner the votes in the legislature. If a majority of the house files charges, 2/3 of the senate has to vote in favor. The house seems likely, but it will be the drama of the century to get through the senate going ahead with it, etc. In the current climate, unless a big group of Democrats in the house side with the Republicans on the charges, it can sloughed off as partisan BS. We'd also probably need some pretty crazy info in those emails to warrant the sharpness of public invective necessary to have a clear political mandate to go through impeachment. It would have to include some of: large scale impact to national interests, beyond-the-pale vile political conspiracy, dick pics of Bill Clinton, or a clear statement of explicit, willfully avoiding public disclosure of the topic of discussion (of particular national interest). I see the narrative being around "sour grapes losers" and "can't win, can't govern Republicans."
  - refurb 10y ago
    it can sloughed off as partisan BS Maybe.... but do the Democrats really want a President that is constantly questioned in terms of her ethics?
    - Crespyl 10y ago
      Has Clinton's ethics ever not been constantly questioned? I think the Democrats are prepared for that much, at least.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
koolba 10y ago
> What happens if they find her guilty after she is elected? If it's before she takes office, Obama could pardon her. Would be a smear on the end of his legacy but might a Nixon/Ford style situation to take the personal hit and move the country forward. If it's after she takes office, most likely impeachment or resignation. It'd be very difficult govern as the chief executive if the country and world sees you as a convicted criminal. Depending on how that plays out, Kaine would most likely take over.
- bcrescimanno 10y ago
  She cannot be "convicted" of anything so long as she's in office. She would have to be impeached and removed from office (or resign) before she could actually stand trial for whatever crime may have been committed.
  - samfisher83 10y ago
    If the democrats get the senate as predicted then she won't be impeached.
    - stanleydrew 10y ago
      I believe the House of Representatives brings articles of impeachment, not the Senate, and the House will likely hold its Republican majority. The Senate is only required to actually convict. It's pretty much a disaster simply to be impeached at all. No conviction is really necessary to permanently damage someone politically. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articles_of_impeachment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articles_of_impeachment
      - ceejayoz 10y ago
        > It's pretty much a disaster simply to be impeached at all. We've only got one recent example of a President getting impeached, and it worked out pretty well for him.
        10y ago

What happens if they find her guilty after she is elected?

Waterluvian 10y ago

Impeachment and VP becomes president? Or personal pardon!

criddell 10y ago
That's what I was wondering too. Can't she just pardon herself?
- Impl0x 10y ago
  Presidential pardons don't apply to impeachments, I believe.
- phd514 10y ago
  Possibly, but pardons don't apply to impeachment, so she could still be removed as President.
  - sp332 10y ago
    Bill Clinton was impeached, but not removed from office.
    - maxerickson 10y ago
      I think even our partisan, dysfunctional congress would still impeach and remove a president that choose to pardon themselves and not step down.
      - sp332 10y ago
        I only meant that they could "impeach" her over something but she could still be in office.
      - criddell 10y ago
        Then what happens? Does Tim Kaine take over?
- antognini 10y ago
  She certainly could. That is why the power of impeachment resides with Congress.
- topspin 10y ago
  "Can't she just pardon herself?" Nothing explicitly prevents it. It doesn't really matter anyhow; Congress has the exclusive power to impeach. Impeachment is the mechanism the constitution provides deal with criminal presidents and the president can't block it. Make no mistake; the last thing Comey and Clinton+Obama et al. wanted was to fill news cycles with "FBI investigation reopened" 11 days out. It's bad, whatever it is, and this is a CYA move; Comey believes he needs to be able to claim he notified Oversight and made this public prior to the election.
ktRolster 10y ago
If you were a Republican, would you really want Tim Kaine instead of Hillary Clinton? That would be like Democrats impeaching Bush and getting Cheney instead.
- babygoat 10y ago
  Where are you getting Cheney?
  - ktRolster 10y ago
    Vampires never die. He's in a dark room somewhere, I'm sure.
- tomjen3 10y ago
  Why not? You want a truly insane person on the other side, that way at least you have a much larger target to attack.

iLoch 10y ago

Impeachment in all likelihood.

pistle 10y ago
If you can garner the votes in the legislature. If a majority of the house files charges, 2/3 of the senate has to vote in favor. The house seems likely, but it will be the drama of the century to get through the senate going ahead with it, etc. In the current climate, unless a big group of Democrats in the house side with the Republicans on the charges, it can sloughed off as partisan BS. We'd also probably need some pretty crazy info in those emails to warrant the sharpness of public invective necessary to have a clear political mandate to go through impeachment. It would have to include some of: large scale impact to national interests, beyond-the-pale vile political conspiracy, dick pics of Bill Clinton, or a clear statement of explicit, willfully avoiding public disclosure of the topic of discussion (of particular national interest). I see the narrative being around "sour grapes losers" and "can't win, can't govern Republicans."
- refurb 10y ago
  it can sloughed off as partisan BS Maybe.... but do the Democrats really want a President that is constantly questioned in terms of her ethics?
  - Crespyl 10y ago
    Has Clinton's ethics ever not been constantly questioned? I think the Democrats are prepared for that much, at least.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

koolba 10y ago

> What happens if they find her guilty after she is elected? If it's before she takes office, Obama could pardon her. Would be a smear on the end of his legacy but might a Nixon/Ford style situation to take the personal hit and move the country forward. If it's after she takes office, most likely impeachment or resignation. It'd be very difficult govern as the chief executive if the country and world sees you as a convicted criminal. Depending on how that plays out, Kaine would most likely take over.

bcrescimanno 10y ago
She cannot be "convicted" of anything so long as she's in office. She would have to be impeached and removed from office (or resign) before she could actually stand trial for whatever crime may have been committed.
- samfisher83 10y ago
  If the democrats get the senate as predicted then she won't be impeached.
  - stanleydrew 10y ago
    I believe the House of Representatives brings articles of impeachment, not the Senate, and the House will likely hold its Republican majority. The Senate is only required to actually convict. It's pretty much a disaster simply to be impeached at all. No conviction is really necessary to permanently damage someone politically. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articles_of_impeachment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articles_of_impeachment
    - ceejayoz 10y ago
      > It's pretty much a disaster simply to be impeached at all. We've only got one recent example of a President getting impeached, and it worked out pretty well for him.
      - 10y ago