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President Trump is expected to issue up to 100 pardons and commutations on Tuesday, a senior administration official and a senior White House official tell CBS News. Tuesday marks Mr. Trump’s final full day in office.
Neither source disclosed any of the recipients, although the president isn’t currently expected to attempt to pardon himself, one source said. CNN first reported the expectation of up to 100 acts of clemency this week.
The White House has invited guests to an 8 a.m. Wednesday sendoff ceremony for the president at Joint Base Andrews, four hours ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
The anticipated clemency actions would come less than a week after Mr. Trump was impeached a second time, this time for incitement of insurrection after the Capitol riots on January 6.
At this point, Mr. Trump has granted 70 pardons, the majority of those in December, according to Justice Department records. The president waited until after the November election to issue some of his most controversial pardons, including for former campaign chairman Paul Manafort; son-in-law Jared Kushner’s father, Charles Kushner; and longtime ally Roger Stone.
By the time President Obama had 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 Justice Department.
Presidents often ramp up their clemency actions before leaving office. A pardon wipes away a person’s conviction, while a commutation merely shortens or ends a sentence.
The president’s pardon powers are virtually unlimited when it comes to federal crimes. The presidential pardon power allows the president to pardon any federal crime, but not state crimes. Article II of the Constitution states that the president “shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.”
Kathryn Watson contributed to this report.
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