Biden pardons Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, black nationalist: NPR

On his last full day in office, President Biden pardoned Virginia House Speaker Don Scott — who was convicted of a nonviolent drug offense in 1994 — and posthumously pardoned the black nationalist Marcus Garvey – who was convicted of mail fraud in the 1920s and inspired civil rights leaders. like Malcolm

Three other people were also pardoned, including advocates for immigrants’ rights, gun violence prevention and criminal justice reform.

“As president, I have used my clemency power to make good on that promise by issuing more individual pardons and commutations than any other president in American history,” Biden said in a statement. “These pardon recipients have each made a significant contribution to the betterment of their community.”

Scott, the first speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, served seven years in prison following his federal drug conviction. Since his release, Scott has become a lawyer, been elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, and became the first Black Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates in 2024.

On Sunday, Scott thanked Biden for the pardon and his “commitment to second chances.”

“I will never forget the pain my family felt when I was convicted or the sound of my mother’s anguish in that courtroom,” Scott said in a statement. “But I will also not forget the joy of redemption and renewal – the sound of her tears as I was sworn in as President.”

The posthumous pardon of Marcus Garvey comes after a group of 21 Democratic members of the US Congress signed a letter urging Biden to grant Garvey a pardon.

Garvey created the Black Star Line, the first black-owned transportation and travel line, and founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association.

Martin Luther King Jr. — who the country celebrates Monday — described Garvey as “the first man of color in American history to lead and grow a mass movement.”

In addition to Scott and Garvey, Biden pardoned immigrant rights activist Ravi Ragbir, prison reform activist Kemba Smith Pradia and gun violence prevention advocate Darryl Chambers. All were convicted of non-violent offenses.

In a statement, Pradia praised Biden’s action.

“His decision reflects the growing recognition that many of the harsh sentences imposed at the height of the war on drugs have caused immeasurable harm, particularly to women who have suffered domestic violence and to communities of color,” said Pradia.

Biden also commuted the sentences of Robin Peoples and Michelle West. Both will complete their sentences on February 18, 2025. Peoples was sentenced to 111 years in prison for bank robbery in Indiana and had previously served more than two decades in prison. West faced a possible life sentence for participating in a drug conspiracy.

West’s daughter, Miquelle West, said she was “delighted and deeply grateful” for Biden’s clemency.

“I was just a little girl when my mother dropped me off at school one morning and never came to pick me up,” Miquelle said in a statement. “Today, after more than 30 years of hoping and daily pleading that his life sentence could somehow be reduced, the clouds have cleared.”

It remains unclear whether Biden will issue preemptive pardons to people President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to prosecute, including those who worked on the House of Representatives’ Jan. 6 Committee.