The Rev. Jesse Jackson would like to see President Barack Obama take a page out of Gerald Ford's book and pardon Hillary Clinton before he leaves office.
During a speech at the University of Michigan — Ford's alma mater — Jackson called for Obama to grant Clinton a legal pass ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.
"It would be a monumental moral mistake to pursue the indictment of Hillary Clinton," Jackson said, reports the Detroit Free Press.
"President Ford said we don't need [President Richard] for trophy. We need to move on. President Nixon wasn't convicted of a crime. He didn't apply for a pardon. [Ford] did it because he thought it would be best for the country.
"Hillary Clinton has not been tried, but there are those who want to drag her for the next three years. It will not stop until they find a reason to put her in jail. That would be a travesty."
Ford issued a pardon for Nixon after he took over the Oval Office when Nixon resigned in 1974.
Trump said several times on the campaign trail he would seek to have Clinton, who was embroiled in scandals involving her family's foundation and her use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state, indicted after he takes office. Since winning the presidential election last week, Trump has yet to say whether he would go through with that pledge — and a fierce public debate about it is ongoing.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.