Convicted Felons to Prez Bush:
‘I Beg Your Pardon’
Bush ponders "pre-emptive pardons"
Wall Street Journal, November 18, 2008
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II.3 Failure to Uphold Accountability
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Scooter Libby: already pardoned
Source: WSJ |
Gerald Ford had former President Richard Nixon; Bill
Clinton had billionaire financier Marc Rich.
Now, as the days on his administration grow shorter
and President Bush turns his attention to presidential
pardons, it’s a question on the lips of the
Beltway chattering classes: will he make a controversial
get-outta-jail-free pick?
A recent ABC News story highlights the issue. According
to the story, more than 2300 convicted felons applied
for a presidential pardon in fiscal year 2008, which
ended on Sept. 30.
So far, President Bush has used his pardon power
sparingly — approving only 157 pardons. In addition,
he has issued six commutations, one of which involved
the name Scooter Libby (pictured). The number represents
the lowest for all presidents since World War II,
with the exception of G.H.W. Bush, who, during his
four-year administration, pardoned only 74 individuals.
We might not know what President Bush will do on
this front until early next year; many of the most
controversial pardons are made on the eve of Inauguration
Day. But the ABC News story ponders whether Bush would
approve a “blanket, preemptive pardon of members”
of his own administration, to immunize them from prosecution
going forward.
A White House spokesman wouldn’t comment on
the possibility of such a “blanket” pardon.
But experts apparently think it’s unlikely given
that you’d have to define in some way the activity
the pardon is covering.
The Justice Department, which makes recommendations
to the president about who should receive clemency,
said it had not received applications from other high-profile
convicts such as Jack Abramoff, Martha Stewart, Alaska
Sen. Ted Stevens, or Libby himself. The president
has the power to grant pardons or commutations on
his own, even if felons have not applied through the
Department of Justice.
