Presidential pardons are supposed to go through a careful review process overseen by the Office of the Pardon Attorney to ensure they are granted fairly and not based on money, connections, or to further improper goals.
But President Trump has cut staff and mostly sidestepped the Office of the Pardon Attorney, issuing pardons that raise serious concerns of abuse like:
- Pardons that seem based on large financial contributions to Trump or people close to him: including several cases like those of Trevor Milton1 and Changpeng Zhao2
- Pardons for allies who broke the law to benefit the president: including individuals connected to attempts to overturn the 2020 election3 and even those convicted of violent offenses related to the January 6 attack on the Capitol
- Pardons as a tool to secure or reward loyalty: including Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), whose pardon seemed tied to an expectation that he would switch parties4
The pardon process has long been flawed: past presidents–including Presidents George H. W. Bush, Clinton, and Biden–have granted questionable pardons to people in their orbit. But President Trump has taken this abuse to another level.
Justice should not depend on who you know, how much money you can spend, or what you can do for the president.
If there are credible concerns that pardons are being granted for personal, political, or financial gain rather than for justice or mercy, Congress has both the authority and the responsibility to act. Without oversight, the pardon power risks becoming a tool of favoritism and corruption rather than a safeguard for fairness in the legal system.