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A presidential pardon stops at the federal line and leaves state crimes wide open. That constitutional boundary exists for a reason and cannot be wished away by executive order.Thirty-one states still controlled by Republicans retain full authority to investigate and prosecute under their own laws. Those state attorneys general and local prosecutors answer to the people of their states, not to Washington.This division of power is the ultimate check against one-sided justice. When federal authorities close a case, the states remain free to pursue the truth and hold anyone accountable under the laws their citizens enacted.