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Comment by lokar | Hacker News Reader

I read some reporting that the going rate was only $20k, 10 up front and 10 after.

I'm a little bit confused.. I am ecuadorian (efefctively 3rd world), we manage ourselves in dollars. I live in a somewhat affluent side of a main city, even tho I am not rich myself, and on a daily basis I see cars which are 50k+, one behind the other. Even though this people are corrupt (most of them, tax evasion, etc..), I'd argue that US corruption would be on another different scale... 20k for a presidential pardon from the president of the US, that's the price of a Chinese manufactured brand new car.

It is a function of the current corrupt president and his close aides. This would never be the case on any of the former presidencies - presidential pardons aren't bought. It's such a sham that it is apparently something that can be bought and really speaks to the depths of depravity and how low the Trump presidency can go.

I think the OP has the numbers wrong but regardless, it isn't something that should ever be bought.

link?

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/17/us/politics/trump-pardons...

Sorry, it was 100k, 50 up front:

"A onetime top adviser to the Trump campaign was paid $50,000 to help seek a pardon for John Kiriakou, a former C.I.A. officer convicted of illegally disclosing classified information, and agreed to a $50,000 bonus if the president granted it, according to a copy of an agreement."

And this is not to trump, but rather to his groupies to talk to him on your behalf. At least on paper.

Still, probably a good value if you actually get it.

I also heard that Rudy's aide float $2M ... it's got to be the aides/close confidents who were trying to milk power.

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