Pardon Me - Trump's Unchecked Abuse of Power

On August 13, 2008, I wrote a column titled "Presidential Pardons are a Bad Idea."

As of June 20, 2025, I still think presential pardons are a bad idea. It turns out that I was right 18 years ago, but I had no idea how abused this perk would become.

For some background on lame duck presidents taking advantages of blanket pardons we need not go back any further than George Washington who pardoned the men who started the so-called whiskey rebellion in 1794.

Trump did the same thing with the January 6th insurrectionists in the beginning of his second term.

Jimmy Carter pardoned Vietnam war draft dodgers in 1977.

Some past examples of individual pardons are Nixon pardoned Jimmy Hoffa, President Ford pardoned Nixon, President H.W. Bush pardoned Casper Weinberger, and President Clinton pardoned his buddy Marc Rich after getting hefty donations from his wife Denise.

Corrupt abuse of pardons happened on a smaller scale before Trump wobbled into the political scene, but none have come close to the blatant abuse Trump is currently wielding. He didn't wait until he was a lame duck either like past administrations. 

I mentioned the J6 rioters earlier, but they were just the first of many questionable pardons to come. 

Five months into his presidency Trump has sparked controversy by pardoning a growing number of convicted drug dealers, including Larry Hoover who was serving multiple life sentences in federal prison for crimes linked to his role leading the Chicago-based Gangster Disciples.

Drug policy experts say it's difficult to find a coherent philosophy behind Trump's use of pardons and clemency. That's because there is none. Trump is "transactional" when it comes to pardons that often reflect the influence of powerful individuals. It's become one of his more profitable grifts and we can expect him to use it until he leaves the White House - one way or another.

The irony of Trump's pardons is as thick as a brick. During his first term he pardoned and freed Alice Maria Johnson who was sentenced to life behind bars for her role as part of a Memphis, Tenn., cocaine trafficking ring. Earlier this year he appointed her to serve as his "pardon czar." Hell, I didn't even know there was such a thing.

Financial and political supporters that were jailed are now having a banner year for pardons and commutations. It's like a game of The Price is Right but it's a grift in real time.

Some quick examples:

Devon Archer and Jason Galanis who were former business partners of Hunter Biden, accused him of improperly leveraging his father's political power to broker overseas business relationships were doing prison time - Archer for defrauding a Native American tribal entity - and Galanis for multiple fraudulent schemes. Trump granted one a full pardon and commuted the other.

Todd and Julie Chrisley who were known for their show "Chrisley Knows Best" were sentenced to a combined 19 years in prison on charges including fraud and tax evasion. Trump pardoned them last month and guess what? They're both back on TV like nothing ever happened.

Paul Walczak, a Florida businessman and nursing home executive who pled guilty to tax crimes last year was pardoned by Trump. 

Paul ripped off his employees for $10 million dollars by taking it out of their paychecks to buy luxury items for himself - like a $2 million yacht. 

According to the New York Times, Walczak's pardon application stated that his mother, Elizabeth Fago, donated and raised millions of dollars for Trump's presidential campaign.

There's a lot more, at least 100 pardons that Trump has passed out since January. That's not counting how many more he'll grant during the remainer of his corrupt regime.

As it Stands, Trump has many ways to reward loyal brownnoses beyond granting them pardons.