The former president handed out clemency to allies and supporters. The January 6 insurrectionists are next.
  • Nightwingdragon@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    26 days ago

    To be fair, they all do it. Every president has used his pardon power to release friends, family, etc. Trump’s corruption is blatant, but he’s far from the first to abuse the pardon power.

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
      27·
      26 days ago

      Do you have examples? While they all pardon people, most don’t misuse that by power to let friends and family avoid justice.

      I tried searching for articles on misuse of the pardon power and besides Trump only saw Nixon’s intent to but didn’t.

      For example, Obama pardoned a record number but most were excessive sentences for nonviolent drug offenses, and more were to correct racial biases

      Edit: here’s an article that does give multiple examples but also makes clear the scope of Trumps misuse was unprecedented

      • dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net
        7·
        26 days ago

        Ford famously pardoned Nixon so he couldn’t be prosecuted for his involvement in the Watergate cover up. It’s arguable that prosecution and prison time for Nixon would have set a different precedent than we have in place now.

        George HW Bush pardoned a bunch of people who were involved in Iran-Contra, as well as Armand Hammer for illegal campaign contributions to Nixon-“coincidentally” after Hammer donated $110k to the RNC.

        Bill Clinton pardoned his HUD secretary of lying to the FBI, pardoned his half brother Roger, his CIA chief, a partner of his in the Whitewater deal, and multiple democratic representatives who had been found guilty of bank fraud.

        George W Bush pardoned Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney’s chief of staff.

        • Linktank@lemmy.today
          5·
          26 days ago

          So mostly republicans aside from one guy who couldn’t keep it in his pants long enough to get the job done in the first place.

        • AA5B@lemmy.world
          1·
          25 days ago

          Ford - not misuse of pardon. You may disagree with his choice but that reason is legit

          Bush - criminals of the previous administration, not misuse for personal reasons

          Clinton - yep, a couple

          Bush jr,- 1

          How many was that for Trump again? Are you seriously going for “both sides the same”?

    • Ech@lemm.eeEnglish
      14·
      26 days ago

      Please name any potus that has promised to pardon seditionists that act on their behalf. If we’re going to whataboutism this, at least point to equivalent examples. Otherwise you’re just normalizing a dictator in waiting.