President Donald Trump’s pardon of former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, issued before his federal case was even finished, has sparked a debate over whether he could end Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe with a series of pre-emptive pardons.

But even mass pardons of all suspects in the Russia case would not close the door to potential prosecutions, NBC News reported.

While presidential pardons can halt the federal case, local prosecutors could then pursue any Americans suspected of aiding Russia’s election meddling. In fact, legal experts tell NBC News presidential pardons could make that prospect more likely.

Federal pardons could open the door to local criminal investigations in several states, like New York, Illinois and Virginia, according to a new MSNBC legal analysis.

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