(CNN) Speculation surrounding President Donald Trump's motive to pardon Scooter Libby this week continues, as the special counsel probe could put some of Trump's allies in the hot seat.

But if Trump did pardon Libby to send a political message, former US attorney Preet Bharara said Sunday that he thought that would be "kind of abusive."

"It's true that the pardon power is something that the President can exercise in any way shape or form pretty much he wants," Bharara said on CNN's "State of the Union." "But it's kind of abusive, I think, if you're using it to send a political message to people who may be in a position to testify against you."

Libby, who was chief of staff to then-Vice President Dick Cheney, was convicted of perjury in 2007 in the investigation into the leaked identity of former CIA officer Valerie Plame.

Special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald led the case that led to Libby's conviction. Fitzgerald was tapped by then-Deputy Attorney General James Comey, and the news of Libby's pardon came hours after excerpts from Comey's new memoir leaked, in which the ex-FBI director is highly critical of the President.

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