Did Bill Clinton pardon anyone?
Asked by: Kristy Carroll | Last update: February 16, 2026Score: 5/5 (38 votes)
President Bill Clinton granted numerous pardons, most famously controversial ones for fugitive financier Marc Rich and his own half-brother, Roger Clinton, on his last day in office, alongside pardons for figures like Whitewater participant Susan McDougal, former Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros, and intelligence analyst Samuel Loring Morison, creating significant controversy and investigations.
What President did not pardon anyone?
The two U.S. presidents who never granted a pardon were William Henry Harrison, due to his death just a month into office, and James A. Garfield, who was assassinated early in his term, leaving neither president enough time to issue any.
What did Bill Clinton's brother get pardoned for?
President Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother, Roger Clinton, in 2001 for a 1985 conviction of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, for which Roger served a year in prison, allowing the offense to be expunged from his record. The pardon came on his last day in office and cleared Roger's criminal record for the drug charge.
Did Bill Clinton pardon Susan Rosenberg?
Release. Rosenberg's sentence was commuted by President Bill Clinton on January 20, 2001, his last day in office, to the more than 16 years' time served. Her commutation produced a wave of criticism by police and New York elected officials.
How many pardons did Clinton have?
President Bill Clinton granted pardons or commutations to 459 people during his two terms, with a significant number, around 140, issued in a controversial batch on his final day in office in January 2001, bringing his total to a higher number than recent predecessors.
Bill Clinton's Biggest Scandal: Pardon Day
Did Barack Obama pardon anyone?
On this day, Obama pardoned 64 individuals and commuted the sentence of 209 individuals (109 of whom faced life sentences). These included Chelsea Manning and Oscar López Rivera, enabling them to be released from prison on May 17, 2017.
Why did Bill Clinton pardon Linda Evans?
In a second case, she was sentenced in 1990 to five years in prison for conspiracy and malicious destruction in connection with eight bombings including the 1983 United States Senate bombing. Her sentence was commuted in 2001 by Democrat President Bill Clinton because of its extraordinary length.
Did Bill Clinton pardon Rick Hendricks?
In December 2000, Hendrick received a full pardon from President Bill Clinton.
What religion was Bill Clinton?
Bill Clinton identifies as a ** Baptist**, raised in the faith and often attending Baptist and Methodist churches, though he experienced periods of drifting from formal practice during college and his early political career. His faith, often described as moderate evangelical or mainstream Protestant, influenced his public rhetoric with biblical references and a focus on shared civil religion, providing personal solace and shaping his worldview, despite criticism from the religious right.
Has Trump ever pardoned someone?
Trump's pardons and grants of clemency favored political allies and loyalists. On January 20, 2025, Trump issued mass pardons and commutations to people who were prosecuted in the January 6 United States Capitol attack.
Who cannot be pardoned by the president?
The President of the United States may pardon anyone who commits a federal offense against the United States. They may also pardon anyone who commits a federal offense against the District of Columbia. The president cannot grant pardons for violations of state laws.
Are you still a felon if you get a presidential pardon?
A pardon does not erase or expunge the record of conviction. It is, however, an indication of forgiveness and should lessen the stigma of conviction.
Do pardons affect gun rights?
In general, there are two basic options to have your gun rights restored after a conviction. They include having your felony case reduced to a misdemeanor and receiving a pardon from the Governor of California.
How many pardons has Clinton given?
President Bill Clinton granted pardons or commutations to 459 people during his two terms, with a significant number, around 140, issued in a controversial batch on his final day in office in January 2001, bringing his total to a higher number than recent predecessors.
What happened to the turkey that was pardoned by Bill Clinton in 1999?
The pardoned turkey (the eighth in Clinton's presidency) and its unnamed alternate were both sent to Kidwell Farm's petting zoo in Herndon, Virginia.
Did Clinton pardon Susan McDougal?
The jury deadlocked 7–5 on the charge of contempt of court and found her not guilty on the charge of obstruction of justice. In January 2001, in the final hours of his presidency, President Clinton granted McDougal a full pardon.
Did Bill Clinton pardon a bomber?
On August 11, 1999, Clinton commuted the sentences of 16 members of FALN, a Puerto Rican paramilitary organization that set off 120 bombs in the United States, mostly in New York City and Chicago.
Did Reagan pardon anyone?
MILLER, Edward S. BURLAGE, Robert O. CASEY, George Calvin Jr.
Who is Bill Clinton's partner?
Bill Clinton's partner is his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, whom he married in 1975 after meeting her at Yale Law School; she served as First Lady during his presidency and has had her own distinguished career as a U.S. Senator, Secretary of State, and presidential candidate.
What was Obama's death penalty?
On 17 January 2017, three days before leaving office after eight years in the White House, President Barack Obama commuted one military death sentence and one federal death sentence. The prisoner in each case will now serve life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Why did Obama have so many pardons?
President Obama pardoned and commuted many sentences, particularly near the end of his term, to address the harsh, outdated sentencing laws, especially for nonviolent drug offenses, aiming for a fairer, smarter criminal justice system, and to provide second chances to rehabilitated individuals, using clemency as a tool while urging Congress for broader reforms. His actions aimed to correct disparities, reduce prison overcrowding, and encourage states to follow suit with reforms.