Biden sets record for presidential pardons and commutations by commuting nearly 2,500 additional sentences

Washington — President Biden announced Friday that he was commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, using his final days in office for a wave of clemency measures intended to overturn the sentences of prison which he considered too harsh.

The recent string of pardons gives Mr. Biden the presidential record for most individual pardons and commutations granted. The Democrat said he was seeking to overturn “disproportionately long sentences compared to the sentences they would receive today under current law, policy and practice.”

“Today’s clemency brings relief to people who have been sentenced to lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, as well as outdated sentencing enhancements for crimes related to drugs,” Mr. Biden said in a statement. “This action is an important step toward righting historical wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities, and providing deserving individuals with the opportunity to return to their families and communities after spending far too long behind bars .

The White House did not immediately release the names of those benefiting from the commutations.

Still, Mr. Biden said more could still come, promising to use the time before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday to “continue to consider additional commutations and pardons.”

Friday’s action follows that of Mr. Biden switchings last month sentences handed down to around 1,500 people released from prison and placed under house arrest during the coronavirus pandemicas well as the pardon of 39 Americans convicted of non-violent crimes. It was the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history.

All of this comes as Mr. Biden continues to weigh whether to issue blanket pardons to officials and allies who the White House says may be unfairly targeted by the Trump administration. Although presidential pardon powers are absolute, such a preemptive measure would constitute a novel and risky use of the president’s extraordinary constitutional power.

Last month he also commuted the sentences of 37 of 40 people on federal death rowconverting their sentences to life imprisonment just weeks before Trump, a strong supporter of expanding capital punishment, took office. Trump has pledged to reverse the order after his term begins.

Mr. Biden also recently pardoned his son Hunternot only for his convictions for federal gun and tax violations, but for any potential federal offenses committed over an 11-year period, as the president feared that Trump’s allies would seek to prosecute his son for other offenses .

If history is any guide, Mr. Biden is also likely to issue more targeted pardons to help his allies before leaving the White House, as presidents typically do in some of their final actions.

Just before midnight on the last evening of his first term, Trump, a Republican, signed a series of pardons and sentence commutations for more than 140 people, including his former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black and former members of Congress. .

Trump’s final act as president during his first term was to announce the pardon of Al Pirro, ex-husband of Fox News Channel host Jeanine Pirro, one of his staunchest defenders . Al Pirro was convicted of conspiracy and tax evasion and sentenced to more than two years in prison in 2000.