Donald Trump’s 11 a.m. pardons are tradition, even if those who are forgiven do not

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Unlike former presidents, Trump has shown little interest in using the Department of Justice’s attorney system to assess executive clemency requests. Instead, the petitioners address the White House directly, calling or emailing Senior Advisor Jared Kushner, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows or White House attorney Pat Cipollone – when they cannot reach Trump himself.

Many of the people Trump has chosen to forgive so far are following predictable lines: associates such as Roger Stone and Michael Flynn who have remained loyal to him through their legal troubles; criminals with friendly or family ties to the administration, such as Jared Kushner’s father, Charles; celebrities or people related to celebrities, such as Rod Blagojevich; and those whose cause has been picked up by the conservative media, such as the Blackwater security guards who slaughtered Iraqi civilians.

He has pardoned or commuted the sentences of some people serving long prison terms for low-level offenses, such as Alice Johnson, who spoke at the Republican National Convention.

But overall, Trump’s forgiveness record broke historical norms. Many of the high-level criminals he pardoned showed little contrition or remorse for their crimes and few claimed to have been wrongly convicted.

It is expected to adhere to that record on Tuesday when it issues around 100 pardons or commutations. The latest round of clemency action is expected to include a mix of criminal justice reform-focused pardons and more controversial pardons obtained or distributed to political allies. White-collar criminals, top rappers and a prominent Palm Beach, Florida ophthalmologist, who is in jail after being convicted of dozens of charges of healthcare fraud, are expected to be featured on the list.

There has been a crush of apologies in Trump’s last few days in power from allies, lobbyists and others hoping to cash in on their loyalty to Trump. The New York Times reported on Sunday that some of those people were being paid tens of thousands of dollars to lobby on behalf of criminals in the hope of pardons.

“Everyone assumed there was no formal process and they should contact the administration directly,” a person familiar with the matter told CNN. “Everyone is hoping to have a friend of a friend of a friend of a cousin who they hope will get them to read their email.”

The 11 o’clock clemency package is in keeping with presidential tradition.

President Barack Obama pardoned or commuted the sentences of 330 people the day before his departure, a record number that went mainly to juvenile offenders serving mandatory sentences.

President George W. Bush was more parsimonious with his use of pardons and commutations. He commuted the sentences of two border officials as he left office (Trump later pardoned them). But he wrote in his memoirs how a wave of demands came to him as he ended his tenure.

“One of the biggest surprises of my presidency was the flood of apologies at the end. I couldn’t believe the number of people who brushed me aside to suggest that a friend or former colleague deserved a grace. At first I was frustrated. Then I was disgusted, ”he wrote in“ Decision Points ”.

“I have come to see massive injustice in the system,” he added. “If you had ties to the president, you could put your case into the last-minute frenzy. Otherwise, you would have to wait for the Department of Justice to do a review and make recommendations. During my last few weeks in office, I resolved that I would not forgive anyone who strayed from official channels. “

Bush said he told Obama on their shared limo ride to the US Capitol for the Obama inauguration to develop a policy of forgiveness early on and stick to it.

President Bill Clinton called attention to his pardons and commutations of 140 people on inauguration day in 2000, which included high-level donors and political supporters such as Marc Rich, his half-brother Roger and Patty Hearst . Some of them came after intermediaries, paid large sums, intervened with Clinton to plead their case. But the majority of those on his list still went through the Justice Department process.

President George HW Bush pardoned a dozen people a day before stepping down. President Ronald Reagan pardoned about 25 people in his last week as president. And President Jimmy Carter, as he stepped down, pardoned Pete Yarrow of the Peter, Paul and Mary group for an “indecent freedoms” crime with a 14-year-old girl.

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