President Bill Clinton left office with immunity from criminal prosecution and a flurry of pardons, including pardons for his half-brother Roger, Patty Hearst and a fugitive oil-trader, Marc Rich.

ECONOMIST: Bush sworn in

But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, remains opposed to retroactive immunity, his office said.

CNN: Deal clears way for wiretap-law overhaul

It's frankly, as an old UN man I can tell you very, very dangerous, this business of offering people immunity for them to leave office.

BBC: Interview with Lord Malloch Brown