In what may be a first in American history, President Trump just expanded the presidential pardon power to include corporations.

Corporations are artificial legal fictions designed to maximize shareholder wealth. Nonetheless, they can theoretically commit crimes and be indicted for them. According to a 1999 memorandum from the Justice Department, the “important public benefits” of prosecuting corporations include “deterrence on a massive scale,” particularly for “crimes that carry with them a substantial risk of public harm,” such as “financial frauds.”

Such public benefits now fall prey to the whims of the president with his pardon of a cryptocurrency company that smacks of political corruption.

On Friday, Trump issued full and unconditional pardons to four individuals and a related cryptocurrency exchange, BitMEX.

  • adarza@lemmy.ca
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    16 hours ago

    now we know who’s gonna be handling illicit payments and crypto transfers.

  • crusa187@lemmy.ml
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    21 hours ago

    Now this is the stuff that the founders would be furious over. What an abhorrent display of corruption.

    • Tarquinn2049@lemmy.world
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      21 hours ago

      This comment, or a comment like it has been on pretty much every piece of trump/maga/doge news, and has been valid every single time.

      • crusa187@lemmy.ml
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        20 hours ago

        Yeah well this “admin” is pretty much the antithesis of the essence and intent of democratic American government, so I guess that tracks.

  • MyOpinion@lemm.ee
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    20 hours ago

    Well the supreme court says they are people so no surprise there. Corporations are people but people seeking to come to America are animals. I see you Republicans.

  • courageousstep@lemm.ee
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    1 day ago

    What the hell kind of country are we becoming. Without fears of consequences for ruining water and land, the environmental systems that support all life around the world are at risk. Regarding being pardoned for financial crimes, all Americans and anyone who interacts with the American financial system are at risk of losing everything. Becoming debtor slaves or serfs with hardly a dollar to their name.