controversial presidential pardons

American labor leader, Presidential candidate, and prominent socialist Eugene V. Debs waves to supporters following his release from prison, December 25, 1921. The two most common forms of clemency are pardons and commutations. The list of pardons and commutations issued Wednesday by President Donald Trump includes some household names, like rapper Lil Wayne and political strategist Steve Bannon.... White House: $1,400 individual checks may arrive soon, Biden signs $1.9T relief bill before speech to nation, Former presidents, first ladies urge Americans to get covid shots, House renews push to expand background checks for guns, DeSantis and Cabinet end 5-year clemency wait for Florida felons, Rita's Italian Ice won't be giving away free treats on 1st day of spring ... again, WQED, Western Pa. groups to host youth mental health virtual event, Things to do in Western Pa.: March 10, 2021, Happy Mario Day: celebrate the Nintendo legend, Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source. The offer of clemency came with the condition that Hoffa would no longer participate in Teamsters activities, but critics argued it also involved a backroom deal that the union would support Nixon’s reelection campaign. “If the pardons have some controversy to them, you don’t want to blow your political capital on a pardon when you might need it for a policy fight,” she said. Patricia Hearst, asked if she had worn a bulletproof vest on her release from prison, opens her jacket to show her T-shirt with the words, "Pardon Me," across the front outside the Hearst home in Hillsborough, 1979. Barack Obama bucked the trend started by Reagan, issuing 1,927 acts of clemency during his presidency. Socialist politician Eugene Debs garnered nearly 1 million votes in the 1920 presidential election, even though he conducted his campaign from the inside of a jail cell. Also excluded from this chart are individual members of a class of persons granted pardons by proclamation, such as President Carter’s proclamation granting clemency to certain Vietnam era offenders, and persons granted clemency after action by President Ford’s Presidential Clemency Board because those petitions were not processed through the Office of the Pardon Attorney. Presidential pardons are NOT unchallengeable ... grant more pardons before January 20 or attempt to pardon himself but there appears to be little recourse if he makes controversial decisions. When former President Donal Trump issued more than 140 acts of clemency in his final hours in the White House, he was exercising a presidential power that has its roots in Southwestern Pennsylvania. READ MORE: 9 Places Investigators Have Searched for Jimmy Hoffa. “It comes down to checks and balances, which are a fundamental part of the U.S. government,” she said. Faced with the possibility of a widespread uprising, President George Washington reluctantly marched a 13,000-strong militia into western Pennsylvania to quell the rebellion. Trump’s pardons also included high-profile cases of celebrities in jail, regardless of their political preferences. Despite Wednesday’s flurry of clemency acts, Trump issued fewer than most presidents, with 206 over the course of his presidency. But from early in American history, the result could be controversial. One of the 20th century’s most famous labor leaders, James R. Hoffa was also the recipient of a particularly controversial presidential pardon. Jacob Tierney is a Tribune-Review staff writer. The U.S. Department of Justice publishes clemency statistics dating to 1900, which show that pardons and commutations used to be a lot more common. At Carter’s urging, President Bill Clinton later issued her a full pardon in 2001. Clemency represents a way for the executive branch to check the power of the judicial branch, Provins said. Porter believed he had been made into a scapegoat, and he spent most of the next two decades fighting to clear his name. “George Washington, his first pardons were — ironically enough — two individuals that participated in the Pennsylvania Whiskey Rebellion,” said Tessa Provins, assistant professor of political science at the University of Pittsburgh. The Whiskey Rebellion was a reaction to the excise tax of 1791 introduced by Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. First Thing: Trump pardons a cast of controversial characters This article is more than 2 months old President pardons 15 people including perpetrators … But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! © 2021 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved. But in 2014, Obama and the Department of Justice launched an initiative that encouraged nonviolent convicts who had served at least 10 years of their sentences to apply for clemency. Bush (77) and George W. Bush (200) but fewer than every other president since at least William McKinley. In 1974, the granddaughter of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst was kidnapped and held for ransom by a radical guerilla group calling itself the Symbionese Liberation Army. “Every president has had some kind of controversy regarding their pardons, but not to the level we saw during the Trump administration,” Coopie said. Worried that Young and the Latter-day Saints would turn Utah into a theocracy, in 1857 President James Buchanan dispatched an army expedition to retake control of the territory. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. The famed labor organizer and pacifist had been arrested in 1918 after he gave a speech questioning U.S. involvement in World War I and encouraging resistance to the military draft. That changed with Reagan, whose tough stance on crime didn’t jibe with a freehanded approach to pardons. While rare overall, Trump’s use of presidential clemency caused controversy because of the nature of his pardons and commutations. and help us continue covering the stories that matter to you and your community. A career soldier, Porter was disgraced by his loss at 1862’s Second Battle of Bull Run. That same year, after a series of government investigations in to the practices of the Teamster Union, Hoffa was convicted in two separate trials that saw him sentenced to eight years for jury tampering (he reportedly attempted to bribe a grand juror in an earlier legal case) and five years for mail fraud and his improper use of Teamster fund. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Jimmy Hoffa waves from the back seat of his car as he leaves the St. Louis airport for a family reunion over Christmas. Hoffa was released from the federal penitentiary at Lewisburg, PA, and flew to St. Louis. Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued 3,796 during his 12 years in office, an average of 316 a year. During the engagement, he was slow to react to contradictory orders from Major General John Pope, and was then forced into an ill-planned attack that resulted in devastating losses to his corps. Bush, 1989-1993, 77 acts of clemency, average 19 per year, • Bill Clinton, 1993-2001, 459 acts of clemency, average 57 per year, • George W. Bush, 2001-2009, 200 acts of clemency, average 25 per year, • Barack Obama, 2009-2017, 1,927 acts of clemency, average 241 per year, • Donald Trump, 2017-2021, 206 acts of clemency, average 52 per year. © 2021 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Fed up with a costly federal tax on distilled spirits, in 1794 a group of whiskey-producing Pennsylvania farmers took to the streets and burned the home of a local tax inspector. ... Richard Nixon and Chelsea Manning: a look back at famous presidential pardons. Blamed for the Union defeat, Porter was court-martialed and then summarily dismissed from the army after a controversial public trial. That’s more than George H.W. He issued only a handful in his first term. Brigham Young, American leader in the Latter Day Saint Movement and settler of Western United States. Later presidents, especially Republicans, followed his lead. At the time, many agreed that Ford’s pardon was necessary to help the nation move forward from an era of scandal and abuse of power, but others argued it had only served to stymie a much-needed investigation into presidential corruption. As president of the influential Teamster union, Hoffa scored several key victories for workers including securing a national trucking contract in 1964. Trump averaged about 52 a year over his term in office, though most were issued during his final day. The Constitution gives the president “power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.”. But while he was an excellent organizer and administrator, he was also autocratic and resistant to federal intervention. Although Trump’s situation is unusual, it bears many similarities to Bill Clinton’s final day in office, in which he issued 140 pardons and several commutations. Presidents traditionally work through the Department of Justice to process clemency applications. However, presidents can only grant pardons for violations of federal laws. Some of Trump’s pardons did not go through the usual petition process, according to the Department of Justice. While the 19-year-old heiress began her ordeal as a hostage, she soon shocked the world by announcing that she had voluntarily joined the ranks of her captors. “George Washington was very much a president who was trying to figure out what it meant to enact many of the powers of his office, and he thought issuing these pardons would set the standard for future presidencies,” said Kristen Coopie, director of pre-law at Duquesne University School of Law. The unlikely revolutionary eventually spent more than a year on the run before being captured in an FBI dragnet in September 1975. Historically, the courts have interpreted the Constitution as giving the president virtually unlimited power to issue pardons to individuals or groups. The U.S. Department of Justice publishes clemency statistics going back to 1900. After over two years behind bars, Debs was finally freed in 1921 on the orders of President Warren G. Harding. Charged with sedition and violation of the Espionage Act, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and disenfranchised for life. Many presidents have made controversial pardon decisions, but Provins and Coopie agree Trump’s last-minute acts of clemency are unique. “When you have Republicans running on a law-and-order platform, it’s hard to grant clemency to people who have violated laws,” Coopie said. Support Local Journalism It used to be common for presidents to issue well over 100 acts of clemency a year. The first ever act of presidential forgiveness came in the wake of an armed rebellion. But while there was a possibility that Nixon could have been prosecuted and even jailed, he was granted a full pardon by new President Gerald Ford only weeks after stepping down. 9 Places Investigators Have Searched for Jimmy Hoffa, 7 Major Events That Happened During Lame Duck Sessions. Some 20 members of the mob were arrested, and two were convicted of treason and sentenced to death by hanging. A pardon absolves a person of a crime, while a commutation reduces the sentence but does not change the fact of conviction. The attack came on the heels of several other protests and many politicians—most notably Secretary Alexander Hamilton—argued that it threatened the stability of the newly formed United States. Protestors carrying signs opposed to President Gerald Ford's pardon of former President Richard Nixon regarding the Watergate affair, September 9, 1974. Here’s a look at how past presidents compare. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Many of these were controversial, such as the pardon of Marc Rich — a major Democratic donor convicted of tax evasion — and Roger Clinton, the president’s brother who was convicted on drug charges. In addition, a presidential … President Donald Trump's expected batch of 100 pardons and commutations on the penultimate day of his presidency won't be the highest of his recent predecessors. Pennsylvania tax rebels tar and feather a federal tax collector during the Whiskey Rebellion, Pennsylvania, 1794. Hearst’s attorneys argued she had been brainwashed and abused during her captivity, but this was not enough to avoid a seven-year prison sentence for bank robbery. Vindication finally came in 1879, when an official review concluded that Porter was not only innocent of any wrongdoing at Second Bull Run, but had likely prevented the defeat from being even more severe. Pardoning Nixon would ultimately go down as one of the most controversial acts of Ford’s presidency, and may have even contributed to his defeat in his 1976 bid for reelection. Provins said Obama’s initiative was an attempt to recognize changing cultural values as society’s views on nonviolent drug crimes became less harsh. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. Ford’s offer of clemency came before Nixon had officially been charged with any misdeeds, and covered all federal crimes the former president had “committed or may have committed or taken part in” during his terms in office. 7 Famous Presidential Pardons. While Harding commuted Debs’ prison sentence to time served, he also considered the elderly politician guilty of his crime and refused to issue a full pardon. Hoffa’s body has never been recovered; it is widely believed he was the target of a Mafia assassination. In what became known as the Utah War, Young’s followers participated in a year-long standoff with the U.S. Army. • Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-1909, 1,099 acts of clemency, average 137 per year, • William Howard Taft, 1909-1913, 831 acts of clemency, average 208 per year, • Woodrow Wilson, 1913-1921, 2,827 acts of clemency, average 353 per year, • Warren G. Harding, 1921-1923, 773 acts of clemency, average 387 per year, • Calvin Coolidge, 1923-1929, 1,692 acts of clemency, average 282 per year, • Herbert Hoover, 1929-1933, 1,198 acts of clemency, average 300 per year, • Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1933-1945, 3,796 acts of clemency, average 316 per year, • Harry S. Truman, 1945-1953, 2,044 acts of clemency, average 264 per year, • Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953-1961, 1,157 acts of clemency, average 145 per year, • John F. Kennedy, 1961-1963, 575 acts of clemency, average 203 per year, • Lyndon Johnson, 1963-1969, 1,187 acts of clemency, average 230 per year, • Richard Nixon, 1969-1974, 926 acts of clemency, average 166 per year, • Gerald Ford, 1974-1977, 409 acts of clemency, average 169 per year, • Jimmy Carter, 1977-1981, 566 acts of clemency, average 142 per year, • Ronald Reagan, 1981-1989, 406 acts of clemency, average 51 per year, • George H.W. Despite this massacre—which some claimed came on Young’s orders—Young and his followers later received a full pardon from President James Buchanan as part of a peace compromise with the federal government. In 1868, all former Confederate soldiers received a presidential pardon, but it took another 18 years before U.S. General Fitz John Porter was exonerated for his role in the Civil War. You can contact Jacob at 724-836-6646, jtierney@triblive.com or via Twitter . The presidential pardon is laid out in the Constitution and gives the president the authority to issue "reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States. Those pardoned include Steve Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist who has been charged with fraud, and major Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy, convicted of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Desperate to avoid further discontent, Washington chose to pardon both men in July 1795. Two men — John Mitchell and Phillip Weigel — were convicted of treason and sentenced to death by hanging until they were pardoned by Washington. The affair was largely bloodless, but it was blighted by a September 1857 incident in which a group of Latter-day Saints killed over 100 civilian members of a California-bound wagon train. Hoffa entered jail in 1967, but only served a few years before President Richard Nixon commuted his sentence. ... James R. Hoffa was also the recipient of a particularly controversial presidential pardon. Lil Wayne, born as Dwayne Michael Carter, is one of those celebs. Coopie said presidents have learned it is often best to wait until the last minute to issue controversial pardons. A locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Commutations and pardons went through the roof. Debs died in 1926, but his citizenship was later posthumously restored by a 1976 act of Congress. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Roger Clinton was arrested for drunken driving less than a year after the pardon. The Presidential Pardon Power Is Good ... His pardons are consistently, ... For most of U.S. history, the pardon power was not particularly controversial. Its use has helped ease tensions—and create new ones. The pardon is one of the most controversial presidential powers. Taking the name “Tania,” she went on to wield a rifle during an SLA bank heist only days later. “Trump seemingly is pardoning his friends and his allies in many of these cases,” Provins said. Debs spent the rest of World War I in jail, where he famously made his fifth and final bid for the White House. Bill Pierce/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images. Many of Trump’s clemency recipients had a “ personal or political connection to the president ,” and he often circumvented the formal process through which clemency requests are typically considered, according to analyses by the Lawfare blog. Brigham Young founded Salt Lake City and served as an early leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the Mormon Church), but he also ran afoul of federal law for his renegade behavior on the western frontier. In 1794, a protest over a whiskey excise tax turned violent in Washington County and elsewhere in the region with a series of attacks on tax collectors and others. Richard Nixon famously resigned from office in August 1974 amid accusations of malfeasance related to the Watergate scandal. In 1882, President Chester A. Arthur commuted his sentence and restored him to the military, and President Grover Cleveland later followed up with a full pardon. By that metric, he is just ahead of Ronald Reagan, who issued 405 acts of clemency over his eight-year term for an average of about 51 a year. Coopie said presidents have learned it is often best to wait until the last minute to issue controversial pardons. Young led the Latter-day Saints to Utah in the 1840s, and later served as the territory’s first governor. All Rights Reserved. READ MORE: 7 Major Events That Happened During Lame Duck Sessions. Whatever its circumstances, Hoffa’s pardon was eventually overshadowed by his 1974 disappearance from the parking lot of a Detroit restaurant. President Jimmy Carter judged the punishment too harsh, and commuted Hearst’s prison sentence after she had served only 22 months behind bars.

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