Pres. Biden issues pardons and commutations
White House says this builds on record of clemency
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - More than a week after pardoning his son, Hunter, President Joe Biden issued what the White House is calling a record number of pardons and commutations.
Saying that America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances, President Biden is giving a second chance to more than 1,500 people convicted of federal crimes.
Early Thursday morning, President Biden announced that he has commuted the sentences of 1,500 individuals and pardoned 39 other people convicted of non-violent crimes. The White House is calling the move the biggest single-day act of clemency in modern history.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters,
“Today’s actions build on the president’s actions on criminal justice reform to help reunite families, strengthen communities and reintegrate individuals back into society. 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.”
Biden said - in a statement - that he has what he called “the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation.”
The 39 people being pardoned were convicted of non-violent crimes. Those whose sentences were commuted had been placed on home confinement during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thursday’s pardons come on heels of Biden’s Thanksgiving weekend pardon for his son, Hunter, after publicly declaring on several occasions that he wouldn’t do so. The President promised on Thursday that he will issue more pardons and commutations in the weeks ahead, before he leaves office.
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