President Joe Biden announced Thursday that he was providing commutations for nearly 1,500 individuals and pardons for an additional 39 involved in non-violent crimes.
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It is the largest single-day act of clemency in modern American history. It represents more than 4.5 times the number granted by Barack Obama, who held the previous high of 330, which he granted his last full day in office in 2017.
“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said in a statement. “As President, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses.”
The commutations affect individuals who were placed on home confinement due to COVID-19 pandemic rules and served out those sentences for at least one year after they were released.
Biden added that he is looking to issue further acts of clemency and “will take more steps in the weeks ahead.”
‘PARDON’ ME? President Biden has commuted jail sentences for nearly 1,500 people and granted 39 pardons, marking the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history, the White House announced Thursday morning. pic.twitter.com/M2UBDZdk6g
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 12, 2024
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News of the sweeping act of clemency comes as pardons have been a hot topic of controversy in the waning days of President Biden’s term.
Biden raised the ire of critics on both sides of the political aisle by issuing a pardon for his son, Hunter Biden. The pardon was so broad and sweeping that experts said they hadn’t seen anything like it in generations.
The First Son received a “full and unconditional” pardon conveniently timed to span over a decade in safeguarding him from investigations into his controversial business dealings.
Hunter Biden’s Pardon Most Sweeping Since Nixon, Comes Just 24 Hours After Kash Patel’s Nomination
Seizing on the fact that the president had clearly issued a pardon not based on the merit of the charges but rather as a favor to his son, Democrats have been pressuring Biden since then to issue further acts of clemency to those they view as undeserving of their sentences.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) enthusiastically begged Biden to springboard off the Hunter pardon and start issuing similar passes to everybody on federal death row.
“Don‘t stop at Hunter Biden,” Bowman demanded. “Pardon the 40 people who are on death row right now to get them off of death row, number one.”
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Rep. Jamaal Bowman says President Biden must use his pardon power for death row inmates:
“Don‘t stop at Hunter Biden. Pardon the 40 people who are on death row right now to get them off of death row, number one.” pic.twitter.com/dGQv6krr2w
— Rusty (@Rusty_Weiss) December 3, 2024
Administration officials also held high-level discussions about “preemptive pardons” for other shady individuals whom they felt might be a target of the incoming Trump administration.
According to reports, the discussions have centered around issuing pardons for individuals like Dr. Anthony Fauci, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), and Senator-elect Adam Schiff (D-CA).
Fauci became a lightning rod for criticism during the COVID-19 crisis and, according to critics, perjured himself in congressional testimony regarding statements on gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Schiff and Cheney, meanwhile, were both instrumental in investigations concerning President-elect Trump. Investigations that ultimately were proven to be blatant partisan witch hunts.
Cheney played a key role in the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol incident, which used specious evidence to create a false media narrative about insurrection and ultimately led to jail time for multiple Trump associates who refused to cooperate with the circus.
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Schiff was a leading figure in the investigations into Trump’s alleged ties with Russia during and after his presidency, including leading the first impeachment against him.
A fact sheet from the White House touts President Biden’s past acts of clemency for those “convicted of non-violent crimes” who were “sentenced under outdated laws, policies, and practices that left them with longer sentences than if the individuals were sentenced today.”
The fact sheet provides four notable dates on which Biden granted a total of 20 additional pardons and 112 commutations.
Trump, during his first term, granted a total of 94 commutations and 144 pardons. He has vowed to issue pardons for a vast majority of January 6th political prisoners on his first day in office.
