The Seattle Times has come out with an editorial urging President Obama to preemptively pardon Hillary Clinton to head off any possibility of a vindictive prosecution by the incoming Trump administration:
“PRESIDENT Obama should pre-emptively pardon Hillary Clinton to protect her and the United States from a vindictive, showboat prosecution by the incoming Trump administration. … It’s shocking that this is a concern, but Trump threatened as much in the candidates’ last debate. On “60 Minutes” Sunday, he said he is still thinking about the issue. … Trump was elected by people who thought he would make America better, not worse. A president punishing a political challenger as if this were a two-bit dictatorship would make the country much, much worse.”
Read complete editorial here. Such a pardon would not be tantamount to a finding that Hillary broke laws or committed a crime. It’s merely a prophylactic action (i.e., a condom) against potential Republican excesses.