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February 19, 2020
Recognizing historic modern first-term commutation work by Prez Trump in a single day
Unsurprisingly, the pardons and commutations handed out by President Trump yesterday to high-profile individuals like Michael Milken, Rod Blagojevich, Bernie Kerik and Eddie DeBartolo have been dominating the news coverage of Trump's latest clemency work (basics noted here and here). But I wanted to take a moment to note (and, in a sense, lament) that Prez Trump's granting of four commutations yesterday — to Tynice Nichole Hall, Crystal Munoz and Judith Negron along with Blagojevich — is quite historic in modern terms.
Last summer in this post, I used the official clemency statistics here from the Office of the Pardon Attorney to set out first-term commutation scorecard for US Presidents over the last half century. Here are the particularly disconcerting numbers for the last four men in the Oval Office before Prez Trump:
Prez Commutations in entire first term
George HW Bush 3
William Clinton 3
George W Bush 2
Barack Obama 1
In other words, Prez Trump's granting of four commutations in a single day amounted to more commutations than any of the last four Presidents granted throughout their entire first term in the Oval Office. (Of course, Prez Obama got quite busy with commutations in his second term, and so his final clemency scorecard looks a heck of a lot better than it looked at the end of his first term.) In addition, with his four commutations yesterday, Prez Trump is now already up to a total of 10 commutations, which is one more than all of the last four Presidents combined granted throughout their entire first terms in the Oval Office.
Prez Trump setting these modern commutation records is not really a reflection of robust use of his clemency pen as much as it serves as a sad commentary on the paucity of clemency granted by the four men in the Oval Office before Trump. That said, Prez Trump seems to have come to appreciate (perhaps only for personal reasons) Alexander Hamilton's famous statement in Federalist 74 that the administration of justice can often "wear a countenance too sanguinary and cruel." I sincerely hope he keeps on helping folks other than just friends and vocal allies with his clemency powers.
Prior related post:
- A (depressing) first term commutation scorecard for recent US Presidents
- "Trump grants clemency to 11, including former junk bond king Michael Milken"
February 19, 2020 at 06:44 PM | Permalink