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© Getty Images
0 / 28 Fotos
History
- The history of presidential pardons was influenced by English common law that was carried into the American system. In England, the king held the power to grant pardons for crimes.
© Getty Images
1 / 28 Fotos
Constitution
- The authority to grant presidential pardon is outlined in the United States Constitution. Article II, Section 2 states: “The President shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.”
© Getty Images
2 / 28 Fotos
Pursuit of justice
- The presidential pardon has sometimes been controversial, as it's been thought to potentially abuse the exercise and pursuit of justice.
© Getty Images
3 / 28 Fotos
George Washington
- The first US president to use the power of the presidential pardon was the first President of the United States, George Washington, who issued 16 pardons while in office.
© Getty Images
4 / 28 Fotos
Whiskey Rebellion
- In 1795, following the Whiskey Rebellion (a violent protest against a federal tax on whiskey, the first ever tax the newly formed government imposed on a domestic product), hundreds were arrested. The two individuals convicted were pardoned by Washington.
© Getty Images
5 / 28 Fotos
John Adams
- Under the Alien and Sedition Acts, the second president of the United States, John Adams, granted individuals pardon from controversial laws that sought to restrict free speech.
© Getty Images
6 / 28 Fotos
19th century
- In the 19th century, several presidents exercised the strategic use of the presidential pardon. The following slides share examples from Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, and Andrew Johnson.
© Getty Images
7 / 28 Fotos
Andrew Jackson
- President Andrew Jackson sought to reward his political allies. In 1833, he pardoned those who confronted the issue of tariffs as part of the Nullification crisis.
© Getty Images
8 / 28 Fotos
Abraham Lincoln
- Abraham Lincoln used the power of the presidential pardon during the Civil War. He provided pardons to those who expressed allegiance to the Union.
© Getty Images
9 / 28 Fotos
Clemency to Southerners
- Lincoln's most infamous act of granting clemency was to Southerners, with the exception of high-level Confederate officials, who pledged their loyalty to the Union.
© Getty Images
10 / 28 Fotos
Andrew Johnson
- Lincoln’s successor, Andrew Johnson, infamously continued Lincoln’s tradition of granting pardons to Southerners, an act which greatly angered Unionists. His decision led to his impeachment by the House of Representatives in 1868.
© Getty Images
11 / 28 Fotos
20th century
- During the 20th century, more presidents granted pardons to individuals. We’ve provided examples from the times of Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Gerald Ford.
© Getty Images
12 / 28 Fotos
Spanish-American War
- Theodore Roosevelt didn’t grant a lot of pardons, but those he did involved in political causes, such as individuals involved in protesting the Spanish-American War.
© Getty Images
13 / 28 Fotos
Woodrow Wilson
- President Woodrow Wilson continued this tradition. He used the power of the presidential pardon for those opposing World War I, including famous oppositionists, such as Eugene Debs.
© Getty Images
14 / 28 Fotos
Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Franklin D. Roosevelt used the power of presidential pardon quite liberally. Thousands of convicted criminals were pardoned, including those who evaded the draft during WWI.
© Getty Images
15 / 28 Fotos
Gerald Ford
- For his part, Gerald Ford was responsible for one of the most infamous presidential pardons in the history of the 20th century. His pardon of former President Richard Nixon provoked intense debate and backlash.
© Getty Images
16 / 28 Fotos
Ulysses S. Grant
- The first instance of a presidential pardon being issued to family members was in the case of Ulysses S. Grant. In 1876, Grant pardoned his brother-in-law, Orville E. Babcock, who accepted bribes to help whiskey distillers evade taxes.
© Getty Images
17 / 28 Fotos
Pardoning his brother-in-law
- Grant’s pardon of his brother-in-law was viewed as a very controversial decision. It is understood that the pardon was granted to protect his own family interests.
© Getty Images
18 / 28 Fotos
George H.W. Bush
- Over a century later, George H.W. Bush pardoned one of his closest associates, Caspar Weinberger. Although Weinberger wasn’t Bush’s family member, his close proximity to Weinberger made the public backlash a case akin to familial nepotism.
© Getty Images
19 / 28 Fotos
Bill Clinton
- Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother, Roger Clinton. Roger was convicted on cocaine-related charges in the mid-1990s.
© Getty Images
20 / 28 Fotos
Donald Trump
- While Donald Trump didn’t directly pardon any of his family members, there was much discussion during his time in office about this matter. Similarly to George H.W. Bush, Trump did pardon a number of his close associates.
© Getty Images
21 / 28 Fotos
Joe Biden
- The most recent case of direct pardoning of family members was conducted by President Joe Biden, who issued a pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, in December 2024.
© Getty Images
22 / 28 Fotos
Full pardon
- President Biden issued a full, unconditional pardon to his son, who he believes was politically targeted.
© Getty Images
23 / 28 Fotos
Federal convictions
- Hunter Biden was set to be sentenced on federal felony gun and tax convictions in 2024. This presidential pardon guarantees that he cannot face those charges.
© Getty Images
24 / 28 Fotos
Controversial
- This is one of the most controversial pardons issued in history. Not only because it is for a sitting president’s son, but also because, throughout his presidency, Joe Biden had promised not to do so.
© Getty Images
25 / 28 Fotos
Important tool
- While the presidential pardon has often been seen as an important tool to intervene in the miscarriage of justice and to demonstrate a sense of grace in circumstances deemed extraordinary, it is clear that there are ethical issues surrounding its use.
© Getty Images
26 / 28 Fotos
Individual care
- Calls for transparency on both the process of issuing pardons and the care that should be provided to each individual case remain an important issue in American politics. Sources: (BBC) (United States Constitution) (National Archives) (White House Archives) (CNN) (Howard Zinn) (Library of Congress) See also: Infamous cases where the legal system got it wrong
© Getty Images
27 / 28 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 28 Fotos
History
- The history of presidential pardons was influenced by English common law that was carried into the American system. In England, the king held the power to grant pardons for crimes.
© Getty Images
1 / 28 Fotos
Constitution
- The authority to grant presidential pardon is outlined in the United States Constitution. Article II, Section 2 states: “The President shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.”
© Getty Images
2 / 28 Fotos
Pursuit of justice
- The presidential pardon has sometimes been controversial, as it's been thought to potentially abuse the exercise and pursuit of justice.
© Getty Images
3 / 28 Fotos
George Washington
- The first US president to use the power of the presidential pardon was the first President of the United States, George Washington, who issued 16 pardons while in office.
© Getty Images
4 / 28 Fotos
Whiskey Rebellion
- In 1795, following the Whiskey Rebellion (a violent protest against a federal tax on whiskey, the first ever tax the newly formed government imposed on a domestic product), hundreds were arrested. The two individuals convicted were pardoned by Washington.
© Getty Images
5 / 28 Fotos
John Adams
- Under the Alien and Sedition Acts, the second president of the United States, John Adams, granted individuals pardon from controversial laws that sought to restrict free speech.
© Getty Images
6 / 28 Fotos
19th century
- In the 19th century, several presidents exercised the strategic use of the presidential pardon. The following slides share examples from Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, and Andrew Johnson.
© Getty Images
7 / 28 Fotos
Andrew Jackson
- President Andrew Jackson sought to reward his political allies. In 1833, he pardoned those who confronted the issue of tariffs as part of the Nullification crisis.
© Getty Images
8 / 28 Fotos
Abraham Lincoln
- Abraham Lincoln used the power of the presidential pardon during the Civil War. He provided pardons to those who expressed allegiance to the Union.
© Getty Images
9 / 28 Fotos
Clemency to Southerners
- Lincoln's most infamous act of granting clemency was to Southerners, with the exception of high-level Confederate officials, who pledged their loyalty to the Union.
© Getty Images
10 / 28 Fotos
Andrew Johnson
- Lincoln’s successor, Andrew Johnson, infamously continued Lincoln’s tradition of granting pardons to Southerners, an act which greatly angered Unionists. His decision led to his impeachment by the House of Representatives in 1868.
© Getty Images
11 / 28 Fotos
20th century
- During the 20th century, more presidents granted pardons to individuals. We’ve provided examples from the times of Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Gerald Ford.
© Getty Images
12 / 28 Fotos
Spanish-American War
- Theodore Roosevelt didn’t grant a lot of pardons, but those he did involved in political causes, such as individuals involved in protesting the Spanish-American War.
© Getty Images
13 / 28 Fotos
Woodrow Wilson
- President Woodrow Wilson continued this tradition. He used the power of the presidential pardon for those opposing World War I, including famous oppositionists, such as Eugene Debs.
© Getty Images
14 / 28 Fotos
Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Franklin D. Roosevelt used the power of presidential pardon quite liberally. Thousands of convicted criminals were pardoned, including those who evaded the draft during WWI.
© Getty Images
15 / 28 Fotos
Gerald Ford
- For his part, Gerald Ford was responsible for one of the most infamous presidential pardons in the history of the 20th century. His pardon of former President Richard Nixon provoked intense debate and backlash.
© Getty Images
16 / 28 Fotos
Ulysses S. Grant
- The first instance of a presidential pardon being issued to family members was in the case of Ulysses S. Grant. In 1876, Grant pardoned his brother-in-law, Orville E. Babcock, who accepted bribes to help whiskey distillers evade taxes.
© Getty Images
17 / 28 Fotos
Pardoning his brother-in-law
- Grant’s pardon of his brother-in-law was viewed as a very controversial decision. It is understood that the pardon was granted to protect his own family interests.
© Getty Images
18 / 28 Fotos
George H.W. Bush
- Over a century later, George H.W. Bush pardoned one of his closest associates, Caspar Weinberger. Although Weinberger wasn’t Bush’s family member, his close proximity to Weinberger made the public backlash a case akin to familial nepotism.
© Getty Images
19 / 28 Fotos
Bill Clinton
- Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother, Roger Clinton. Roger was convicted on cocaine-related charges in the mid-1990s.
© Getty Images
20 / 28 Fotos
Donald Trump
- While Donald Trump didn’t directly pardon any of his family members, there was much discussion during his time in office about this matter. Similarly to George H.W. Bush, Trump did pardon a number of his close associates.
© Getty Images
21 / 28 Fotos
Joe Biden
- The most recent case of direct pardoning of family members was conducted by President Joe Biden, who issued a pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, in December 2024.
© Getty Images
22 / 28 Fotos
Full pardon
- President Biden issued a full, unconditional pardon to his son, who he believes was politically targeted.
© Getty Images
23 / 28 Fotos
Federal convictions
- Hunter Biden was set to be sentenced on federal felony gun and tax convictions in 2024. This presidential pardon guarantees that he cannot face those charges.
© Getty Images
24 / 28 Fotos
Controversial
- This is one of the most controversial pardons issued in history. Not only because it is for a sitting president’s son, but also because, throughout his presidency, Joe Biden had promised not to do so.
© Getty Images
25 / 28 Fotos
Important tool
- While the presidential pardon has often been seen as an important tool to intervene in the miscarriage of justice and to demonstrate a sense of grace in circumstances deemed extraordinary, it is clear that there are ethical issues surrounding its use.
© Getty Images
26 / 28 Fotos
Individual care
- Calls for transparency on both the process of issuing pardons and the care that should be provided to each individual case remain an important issue in American politics. Sources: (BBC) (United States Constitution) (National Archives) (White House Archives) (CNN) (Howard Zinn) (Library of Congress) See also: Infamous cases where the legal system got it wrong
© Getty Images
27 / 28 Fotos
Biden issues preemptive pardons to Fauci, Milley, and Jan. 6 committee
President Joe Biden has announced his decision shortly before Trump’s inauguration
© Getty Images
In an unprecedented move, Biden has pardoned retired Gen. Mark A. Milley, Anthony S. Fauci, members of the Jan. 6 committee, and police officers who testified before the panel. He clarified that the reason for this decision was not due to any wrongdoing on their part, but rather to protect them against Trump’s potential “vengeance.”
In the past, Trump declared that he would punish those who tried to hold him accountable for his attempts to overthrow the 2020 election results and his involvement in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“These are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing,” Biden said in his statement. “Even when individuals have done nothing wrong — and in fact have done the right thing — and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage reputations and finances.”
In the United States, presidential pardons have rarely been used to provide clemency to the family members or close acquaintances of presidents—but it has happened. Indeed, these acts have long been seen as controversial. In this gallery, we explain what a presidential pardon is, highlight notable instances where presidential pardons were granted to family members or close acquaintances, and discuss the ethical issues.
Intrigued? Click through to find out more.
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