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President Trump is expected to issue up to 100 pardons and commutations on Tuesday, a senior administration official and senior White House official told CBS News. Tuesday marks Mr. Trump’s last full day in office.
Neither source revealed either of the recipients, although the president is currently not supposed to try to forgive himself, a source said. CNN first reported the expectation of up to 100 leniency acts this week.
The White House invited guests to an 8 a.m. presidential send-off ceremony Wednesday at Joint Base Andrews, four hours before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Planned leniency actions reportedly come less than a week after Mr. Trump dismissed a second time, this time for inciting insurgency after the January 6 Capitol riots.
At this point, Mr. Trump has granted 70 pardons, the majority of which in December, according to Justice Department records. The president waited until after the November elections to deliver some of his most controversial pardons, including for former campaign president Paul Manafort; the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Charles Kushner; and longtime ally Roger Stone.
By the time President Obama left office, he had pardoned 212 people; 189 were pardoned by President George W. Bush; and 396 received a pardon from President Clinton, according to the Department of Justice.
Presidents often step up their leniency actions before leaving office. A pardon erases a person’s conviction, while a commutation only shortens or ends a sentence.
The President’s pardon powers are virtually limitless when it comes to federal crimes. The presidential pardon power allows the president to pardon all federal crimes, but state crimes not. Article II of the Constitution states that the president “has the power to grant stays and pardons for crimes against the United States, except in the event of an indictment.”
– Kathryn Watson contributed reporting
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