Bush May Gift-Wrap a Few Pardons

President Bush has been seriously studying whether to grant a holiday season pardon to former Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger and possibly others who have already been convicted or pleaded guilty to Iran-Contra related crimes, according to Administration sources.

Weinberger has been charged by independent counsel Lawrence E. Walsh with four counts of lying to congressional Iran-Contra investigators in 1987 and to Walsh’s prosecutors in 1990. The Weinberger trial is scheduled to start on Jan. 5.

White House officials who have been examining the situation with Bush recently questioned journalists informally about the expected media reaction if the President were to pardon the 75-year-old former Ronald Reagan Cabinet member.

Sources said the matter “was being discussed” Wednesday in the White House. One source close to the situation said that Bush was expected to act Wednesday, but he left for Camp David without making an announcement.

“Weinberger had a good shot,” this source said, “but it seems less likely now that the President has left town.”