>> Laura: PRESIDENT TRUMP ISSUED
TWO PARDONS YESTERDAY, ONE TO
PATRICK NOLAN, FORMER REPUBLICAN
STATE LEGISLATIVE LEADER.
AND FORMER MEDIA BARON AUTHOR
CONRAD BLACK.
BLACK WAS CONVICTED AFTER
PROSECUTORS ACCUSED HIM OF QUOTE
SEVERAL ACTS OF MAIL FRAUD AND
OBSTRUCTION.
SEVERAL CONVICTIONS WERE STRUCK
DOWN BY THE U.S. SUPREME COURT.
BLACK STILL SERVED 42 MONTHS IN
PRISON, SENTENCE CUT SHORT BUT
NOT SHORT ENOUGH.
HE WAS FORCED TO LEAVE THE
UNITED STATES UPON HIS RELEASE.
NOW DESPITE ALL OF THIS, PLEASED
FOR HIS CLEMENCIES OF LUMINARIES
OF EVERY POLITICAL PERSUASION,
THIS WAS THE REACTION.
>> PRESIDENT TRUMP IS HANDING
OUT PARDONS LIKE A LARGE BUNNY
WHO LOVES ROTTEN EGGS.
>> YOU HAVE TO SHOW REMORSE TO
GET A PRESIDENTIAL PARDON.
CONRAD BLACK HAS NOT EXHIBITED
THAT.
>> IF YOU'RE IN A BIT OF A LEGAL
PICKLE AND YOU WONDER HOW TO GET
OUT OF PRISON, THINK ABOUT
WRITING A GLOWING BOOK ABOUT
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
>> Laura: EXCLUSIVELY IN HIS
FIRST AMERICAN INTERVIEW SINCE
HIS PARDON, IS LORD CONRAD
BLACK.
EVERYBODY KNOWS, YOU AND I HAVE
KNOWN EACH OTHER A LONG TIME, I
HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT YOUR ABSURD
CASE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AND
WRITTEN ABOUT IT.
BUT YOUR REACTION TO THOSE WHO
SAY THAT THIS WAS YOUR FLATTERY
THAT WON YOU A PARDON.
>> LAURA, THANK YOU FOR HAVING
ME ON.
MY REACTION IS I'VE ABSOLUTELY
NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE
PRESIDENT IS EVEN AWARE THAT I
WROTE THAT BOOK.
HE CERTAINLY HAS NEVER MENTIONED
IT.
AND IN ANY CASE, ANYONE WHO HAS
READ IT CAN SEE IT IS NOT
UNCRITICAL, IT'S NO WHITEWASH.
POINTS AT SOME OF THE LESS SA
LIEU BREOUS ASPECTS OF HIS
CAREER.
I'M NOT UNCRITICAL OF HIM,
SUPPORTER FOR POLICY REASONS AND
HE WAS AT PAINS TO SAY, THAT HIS
MOTIVATION AND AUTHORIZED ME TO
SAY THIS, URGED ME TO SAY THIS,
WAS NOT THAT WE'VE KNOWN EACH
OTHER A LONG TIME AND I'VE BEEN
GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF HIM.
BY CAREFUL EXAMINATION BY THE
LEGAL STAFF, THEY CONFIRMED THAT
ALAN DERSHOWITZ AND OTHERS SAID
ON MY BEHALF, IT WAS AN UNJUST
VERDICT AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE
BEEN CHARGED AND IT WAS A BAD
RAP.
HE HANDED THE FAVOR SIDE TO HIS
FRIENDS, THERE WOULD BE, YOU
WOULD HAVE FIVE AMBASSADORS IN
EVERY EMBASSY.
>> Laura: PEOPLE SHOULD NOTE THE
PROSECUTOR WHO HAD YOU IN HIS
SIGHTS WAS PATRICK FITZGERALD,
U.S. ATTORNEY OF CHICAGO.
HE'S NOW REPRESENTING JIM COMEY.
AND THE ECHOS OF PROSECUTORIAL
ABUSE AND THE USE OF GOVERNMENT
AND STATE AUTHORITY, TO TARGET
PEOPLE, ANY THOUGHTS?
>> YES, WE FOUND THE
PROSECUTORS, INCLUDING THE FBI
CONTRIBUTION, OFFERING ABSOLUTE
UNTRUTHS, ALMOST EVERY DAY.
THERE WAS NEVER ANY SANCTION FOR
IT.
I HAVE TO SAY, LAWYER, A I KNOW
ARE YOU A WELL QUALIFIED LAWYER,
I'M A LAWYER, I HAVEN'T
PRACTICED FOR 50 YEARS BUT I AM
IN THEORY A LAWYER.
ANY SERIOUS JURISDICTION EXCEPT
THE UNITED STATES WOULD DISBAR
MOST OF THESE PROSECUTORS.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS WHAT
THEY DO.
AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, BASICALLY
WHAT THEY DO, THEY TARGET
SOMEBODY, THEY ROUND UP
EVERYBODY NEAR THEM, IN WHATEVER
ACTIVITY IS OBJECTED TO, SAY YOU
BETTER JOG YOUR MEMORY OR
WHETHER'S AN OBSTRUCTION OF
JUSTICE GOING ON HERE AND
CONSPIRACY TO SUBVERT JUSTICE,
YOU WILL BE CHARGED.
IF YOU CAN JOG YOUR MEMORY AND
HELP US, YOU HAVE A COMMUNITY
FOR PERJURY AND CARRY ON.
>> Laura: WELL, THEY USE --
>> THAT'S HOW YOU GET 98%
CONVICTION RATE.
NORTH KOREAN RATE OF CONVICTION.
IT'S A WONDERFUL COUNTRY BUT
THERE IS A PROBLEM IN THE
JUSTICE SYSTEM.
>> Laura: HAPPY THAT YOU GOT