Coincidentally, when Barr leaves, the pardons began in earnest.

[kentuck]

Was that an agreement between Trump and Barr?

Why could he not finish the last month of his tenure?

To quote Ben Sasse, "It is rotten to the core".

[Klaralven]

1. Trump has been issuing pardons without involving Barr and the DoJ Office of the Pardon Attorney

[agingdem]

2. Ben Sasse the toothless tiger roars...again

notice the pardons are "rotten to the core"...no word on Trump

[Pobeka]

3. Barr wanted to distance himself from these pardons legally & politically.

I suspect even Barr knows these pardons are unpardonable, and will lead to more trouble than they are worth.

Trump thinks he'll get out of any trouble no matter what, because that's how it's always worked for him. I don't think he understands the legal force he has created against himself, which will be activated on Jan 21 at noon ET.

[onenote]

4. I don't see any connection.

Trump gave Stone clemency when Barr was AG. Barr carried out Trump's wishes with respect to trying to get Flynn's case dismissed and with respect to the Roger Stone sentencing. Barr was in office for over 20 pardons, including Flynn, before this most recent round. Barr was still in office when the December 22 pardons were granted.

What would this agreement say? That Trump won't pardon certain people until Barr leaves? Trump was going to fire Barr, so there was no need for any agreement, other than to agree to make it look like Barr's decision was his own, not Trump's.

[kentuck]

5. Perhaps?

But why did he have to pardon Stone again?

And why did he wait to pardon Manafort and Kushner?

I think there may be more to the story.

Just my opinion.

[onenote]

6. He didn't "pardon" Stone the first time. He commuted his sentence.

There's a difference between a commutation and a pardon.

And it's not unheard of for presidents to wait until they're about to leave office to make their most controversial pardons. (See, e.g, Clinton's pardons of his brother, Roger, Marc Rich, Daniel Rostenkowski, Susan McDougal, Henry Cisneros, John Deutsch, Christopher Wade).

Of course Trump, as always, takes things to an extreme.