Biden issues 39 presidential pardons and commutes 1,500 sentences
US President Joe Biden has granted presidential pardons to 39 Americans convicted of non-violent offenses and commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 others, including individuals involved in multi-million-dollar fraud schemes.
The White House called it the largest single-day act of presidential clemency in U.S. history. This announcement follows Biden’s earlier decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, who had been criminally convicted.
In a statement, Biden emphasized that those pardoned had “demonstrated successful rehabilitation and a commitment to strengthening and safeguarding their communities.”
Under the U.S. Constitution, the president holds broad authority to “grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.”
The White House released a list of 39 individuals who received pardons, noting that they had been convicted of either “non-violent offenses” or “non-violent drug offenses.” The specific crimes were not disclosed. Many of the pardoned individuals were former inmates who have since become veterans, community leaders, or advocates.
One notable recipient is a 49-year-old Virginia resident who was convicted of a drug offense at 21. Following his release, he earned a university degree, served in both the U.S. Army and Air Force, and volunteered with organizations supporting veterans. The White House described him as “exceptionally hardworking, dedicated, and trustworthy.”
The commutation of 1,499 sentences includes individuals placed in home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and those serving excessively long sentences under outdated laws. Biden stated that these individuals had “proven they deserve a second chance.”
Biden promised “more steps in the weeks ahead”.
Among those who had their sentences commuted was 76-year-old Timothy McGinn, a former stockbroker convicted in 2013 of defrauding hundreds of clients for millions of dollars, wiping out savings for many of his victims.
Another person who received clemency, a former Ohio county commissioner, Jimmy Dimora, was convicted in 2012 of taking $450,000 (£355,000) in bribes that included lavish trips to Las Vegas, prostitutes and a stone-fired pizza oven.
Also on the list were Paul Daugerdas, convicted of overseeing fraudulent tax shelters in 2014, and Elaine Lovett, convicted of defrauding federal health insurance programme Medicare as part of a $26m scheme in 2017.
The president will leave the White House on 20 January 2025, when his successor Donald Trump is inaugurated.
Biden previously had a record of pardoning fewer people than most presidents in modern US history.
He had issued a few categorical pardons in the past, however. These are pardons given to a sweeping number of people who fall under a category outlined by the president.
In October 2022, Biden issued a full pardon for those who had been convicted of simple possession of marijuana, and later expanded that to include other marijuana-related offenses.
Earlier this year, Biden issued another full pardon to military personnel and veterans who were convicted of an offence based on their sexual orientation.
Biden’s decision earlier this month to pardon his son, Hunter, continued a trend of presidents on both sides of the US political divide – including Trump – granting clemency to people close to them.
The younger Biden was facing sentencing for two criminal cases for tax fraud and gun crimes.
The move has proven controversial, since the outgoing president previously ruled out doing it. But he claimed the cases against his son were politically motivated.
Biden has also weighed issuing pre-emptive pardons for prominent critics of his successor Trump in a bid to shield them from retribution after the president-elect takes office, but has reportedly been concerned about the precedent it would set.
In a separate development on Thursday, an ex-FBI informant pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, which had led to investigations into the Biden family.
Alexander Smirnov acknowledged that he concocted “fabrications” about Biden and his son accepting bribes from Ukrainian energy firm Burisma. The claim was seized upon by Republicans in Congress as proof of corruption.
Trump granted 237 acts of clemency during his first term in the White House, according to the Pew Research Center. These included 143 pardons and 94 commuted sentences.
Many were in a flurry before he left office.
In recent days, Trump has pledged to issue pardons on his first day in office to people who were convicted for participating in the 6 January 2021 riot on Capitol Hill, in which his supporters tried to block the certification of Biden’s election victory.
He said this week that the pardons would be for people who were “non-violent”.
“A vast majority should not be in jail, and they’ve suffered gravely,” he said in an interview with Time magazine on Thursday.
