https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/7/21/16008400/newt-gingrich-trump-pardon-2016
"Trump surrogate and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich discussed potential ethics violations in a December 2016 interview with Diane Rehm in light of Trump’s many domestic and foreign business interests. In the interview, Gingrich suggested that the president would have virtually unlimited ability to pardon aides: [Trump] also has, frankly, the power of the pardon. I mean, it is a totally open power, and he could simply say, “Look, I want them to be my advisers, I pardon them if anybody finds them to have behaved against the rules, period.” And technically under the Constitution, he has that level of authority."
