Biden grants 3 pardons and 75 commutations in first use of presidential pardon power

(Image credit: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

published 26 April 2022

President Biden used his power to pardon federal offenders for the first time on Tuesday, The Associated Press reports.

Per AP, Biden pardoned "a Kennedy-era Secret Service agent convicted of federal bribery charges" and "two people who were convicted on drug-related charges but went on to become pillars in their communities."

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The Pew Research Center notes that former President Donald Trump granted 143 pardons and 94 commutations during his four years in office, for an average of 0.162 acts of clemency per day. Among those who benefitted were former White House strategist Stephen Bannon, four war criminals convicted of massacring civilians in Baghdad, and rapper Lil Wayne. Eighty-four percent of Trump's pardons and commutations were granted in his last four months as president.

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Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.

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