Presidential Pardons
White criminals seeking presidential pardons are nearly four times as likely to succeed as people of color, a ProPublica examination has found.
White criminals seeking presidential pardons are nearly four times as likely to succeed as people of color, a ProPublica examination has found.
Obama Picks Up the Pace on Commutations, But Pardon Changes Still in Limbo
Obama has accelerated clemency to low-level drug offenders, but a study on pardons due in 2015 won’t be released until the fall of 2017.
Prolific Pardoner? Obama Grants Clemency to 22 Prisoners This Week, But Has Denied Thousands
Is this the beginning of a new trend in commutations?
Obama Issues 12 Pardons. That’s Still Far Fewer Than Predecessors
The president’s 18 commutations put him ahead of recent presidents but his use of pardons still lags behind Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
Three Things Obama's New Clemency Initiative Doesn't Do
Prisoners' advocates call the reforms a step forward, but they don't address discrimination in presidential pardons or apply to everyone serving harsh sentences from outdated guidelines.
President Obama Tells Clarence Aaron He Can Finally Go Home
The president has ordered an early release from prison for Aaron, whose problematic case we have detailed.
Despite New Pardons, Obama’s Clemency Rate is Still Lowest in Recent History
The White House announced 17 pardons on Friday. But Obama has still granted clemency at a lower rate than his predecessors.
IG Report: Senior Justice Department Official Shares Blame in Botched Clemency Case
The Justice Department's inspector general says David Margolis, an associate deputy attorney general, did not properly supervise the pardon attorney on the Clarence Aaron case.
Head of Pardons Office Withheld Facts From White House in Key Case
A Department of Justice Inspector General report concluded that the head of the pardons office may have mishandled the case of Clarence Aaron.
Obama Has Granted Clemency More Rarely Than Any Modern President
Given few positive recommendations by the Justice Department, Obama has handed out pardons and commutations at a lower rate than any of his recent predecessors, a ProPublica analysis shows.
Details Emerge on Government Study of Presidential Pardons
A review triggered by stories published by ProPublica and The Washington Post will test the effect of race on pardon decisions.
Obama Administration Wants Review of Prisoner’s Commutation Request
The Justice Department is reviewing the commutation request of a federal inmate while conducting its first-ever in-depth analysis of presidential pardons.
Congressional Leader Calls for Investigation of the Pardon Office
ProPublica’s story about federal prison inmate Clarence Aaron prompts Rep. John Conyers to press President Obama to open a Justice Department probe. Civil rights groups ask for Congressional hearings on the Pardon Office
Pardon Attorney Torpedoes Plea for Presidential Mercy
The prosecutor and trial judge urged federal officials to commute Clarence Aaron's sentence, but the Justice Department had other ideas.
Law School Clinic for Pardons Planned
Spurred by findings in a ProPublica investigation, former Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich pushes for a program to address inequities in the pardons process.
House Panel Queries Attorney General About Pardon Office
The questions from the House Judiciary Committee follow ProPublica's investigation into the Justice Department's pardon office and a finding of racial bias against minorities.
Barbour Says Pardoned Murderers Deserved 'a Second Chance'
Former governor says pardons should be based on "Christian belief in repentance, forgiveness and redemption."
