Biden Goes on Pardon Spree for 'Largest Single-Day Grant of Clemency in Modern History'
It turns out that the polarizing pardon of his son was just the tip of the iceberg.
President Joe Biden, with just a little over a month to go before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated, just pulled off the “largest single-day grant of clemency in modern history,” according to the White House itself.
“Today, President Biden announced that he is granting clemency to nearly 1,500 Americans — the most ever in a single day — who have shown successful rehabilitation and a strong commitment to making their communities safer,” the White House release boasted.
It added: “The President is commuting the sentences of close to 1,500 individuals who were placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and who have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities.
“He is also pardoning 39 individuals who were convicted of non-violent crimes.
“These actions represent the largest single-day grant of clemency in modern history.”
This pardon frenzy comes just a little over a week after Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, on Dec. 1.
That particular pardon set off a frenzy of criticism, with many pointing out that Biden had long said he would not pardon his son, so that the legal process could play out.
(Other critics have also noted that the time frame of Hunter’s sweeping pardon helps cover Joe’s own tracks from when he was a vice president.)
The move was an unpopular one across the board, with the Associated Press noting that Hunter’s pardon had a roughly 20 percent approval rating.
Despite that unpopularity, the president appears set to double down on the move.
The White House release made clear to take a very braggadocios tone.
“Together, these actions build on the President’s record of criminal justice reform to help reunite families, strengthen communities, and reintegrate individuals back into society,” the release continued. “The President has issued more sentence commutations at this point in his presidency than any of his recent predecessors at the same point in their first terms.
“He is also the first President ever to issue categorical pardons to individuals convicted of simple use and possession of marijuana, and to former LGBTQI+ service members convicted of private conduct because of their sexual orientation.”
It added: “As the President has said, the United States is a nation of second chances. The President recognizes how the clemency power can advance equal justice under law and remedy harms caused by practices of the past.”
For anyone concerned about Biden’s pardon spree, the release made clear that the incumbent wasn’t quite done.
“In the coming weeks, the President will take additional steps to provide meaningful second chances and continue to review additional pardons and commutations,” the release noted.
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