Only one true presidential pardon of another president has occurred in U.S. history (see our previous post for details). But presidents have found ways to help other presidents—and even themselves—using the powerful presidential pardon. One of the most famous cases of this is that of President Bush I and the Iran-Contra Scandal.

What Happened?
The Iran-Contra Scandal occurred in 1985-87, during the Reagan administration’s second term. Reagan wanted to fund the impecunious Contras of Nicaragua, terrorist groups that opposed the socialist Nicaraguan government; he believed that the government in place was a threat to the U.S.’ economy and security.

Funding the Contras was barred by Congress by 1984, so Reagan allegedly set up a covert method of funding. Under the guise of rescuing American hostages, the U.S. sold weapons to Iran despite an arms embargo. Some of this money was used to secretly fund the Contras.
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In our last post in this series, we covered the various countries where the justice system seems to work—and ones where it doesn’t. Many of these countries are on the U.S.’ official “Do Not Travel” list, which you can access here. However, sometimes Americans still make it to these countries because of vocation (e.g. journalists), family obligations, humanitarian work, or even just to visit. Otto Warmbier, who was detained for 17 months in North Korea and ended up losing his life, went there with a tour group run by a Chinese travel company. 
 
If you have any choice in the matter, the safest way to avoid detainment in a potentially hostile land is to cancel your trip. But if you must head into a country where an arrest could cause more than the usual tsuris, such as one with a communist or precarious government, ensure that you make it back home by taking a few precautions.