In the opening scene of The Godfather, Don Vito entertains guest at his home in New York during Connie’s wedding.  The faithful line up outside of his office for their turn to ask a favor of The Don, who can deliver because well, he’s the Don.

Trump must have had this scene in recent memory when he decided to pardon Scooter Libby.  George W. Bush wouldn’t do it and according to insiders, Cheney was furious that the GWB wouldn’t throw him a bone and pardon his chief of staff, never mind he was convicted of lying to the FBI.

From Wikipedia

Libby was indicted by a federal grand jury on five felony counts of making false statements to federal investigators, perjury for lying to a federal grand jury, and obstruction of justice for impeding the course of a federal grand jury investigation concerned with the possibly illegal leaking by government officials of the classified identity of a covert agent of the CIA, Valerie Plame Wilson, the wife of former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV.

The worst part about Trump’s pardon is the message it sends to other civil servants.  “We don’t care if you lie to the FBI or obstruct justice.  That’s fine with us as long as you were a loyal member of our team.”  Thousands of public servants just got this message loud and clear.  Ethics be damned.