Donald Trump's lawyer John Dowd once floated the idea of pardoning Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn.

Courtesy of the New York Times:  

A lawyer for President Trump broached the idea of Mr. Trump pardoning two of his former top advisers, Michael T. Flynn and Paul Manafort, with their lawyers last year, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions. 

The discussions came as the special counsel was building cases against both men, and they raise questions about whether the lawyer, John Dowd, was offering pardons to influence their decisions about whether to plead guilty and cooperate in the investigation. 

The talks suggest that Mr. Trump’s lawyers were concerned about what Mr. Flynn and Mr. Manafort might reveal were they to cut a deal with the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, in exchange for leniency. Mr. Mueller’s team could investigate the prospect that Mr. Dowd made pardon offers to thwart the inquiry, although legal experts are divided about whether such offers might constitute obstruction of justice.

I heard one of the reporters on cable news this morning clarifying that this suggestion came before Michael Flynn pleaded guilty and started cooperating with the Mueller investigation, and before Manafort's indictment.

Of course the question to ask is WHY would Donald Trump's personal attorney, who was not representing either Manafort or Flynn, have broached this option?

Just what are they so concerned about Mueller learning from these two?

And does it rhyme with "allusion?"

Of course John Dowd and the White House deny this conversation ever took place, which by the new fact checking rules of the Trump Administration means it ABSOLUTELY happened.