A Democratic congressman has introduced a bill that would force the White House to announce any presidential pardons publicly within three days of being granted. But could President Trump really pardon someone in secret?

The short answer: In theory,yes.

Presidents have broad authority to issue pardons, as determined by the Constitution. Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution says presidents “shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.”

The President doesn’t need approval from anyone else in the government to issue a pardon, and can even pardon someone before they’ve been formally charged with a crime, which is the key to answering this question.

In general, pardons are vetted by the Office of the Pardon Attorney in the Justice Department. But the regulations governing that process don’t interfere with or supersede the president’s constitutional authority on this issue,which mentions nothing about needing to notify the public of a pardon.

https://time.com/4933386/donald-trump-secret-pardon-law/