In his second term, President Trump has moved to pardon many who are considered to be loyal to him, from local Republican officials convicted of fraud to Jan. 6 rioters. The New York Times reported that Trump pardoned a Florida businessman convicted of tax evasion after his mother attended a million dollar per-plate fundraising dinner at Mar-a-Lago. Laura Barrón-López discussed more with Liz Oyer. [Oyer formerly held the position of DOJ Pardon Attorney until being fired by Trump.]
This evening, the president called the daughter of reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley to tell her that he plans to pardon her parents. The pair are both serving yearslong prison sentences for bank and tax fraud.
Also today, The New York Times published new details about the pardon of a Florida businessman convicted of tax evasion.
And, yesterday, President Trump pardoned Virginia Sheriff Scott Jenkins, who was handing out deputy sheriff badges in exchange for money. He was paid more than $75,000 in bribes in what the DOJ called a — quote — "cash-for-badges scheme."
Jenkins was also a big supporter of President Trump and expressed some anti-immigrant sentiments. What's your takeaway from that pardon? And is this normally how pardons work?
[Oyer:]
This is not at all how pardons normally work. Pardons are normally reserved for people who show remorse for a crime they have been convicted of and who have actually served at least some and typically all of their sentence and have shown personal growth and rehabilitation during that time.
However, this administration appears to be using pardons in a completely different and new way, which is to reward people who demonstrate political loyalty to the administration. And that is unprecedented.
And the second thing that is really different is that Trump appears to be doing this just for wealthy, well-connected people. In the first administration, there were some truly deserving individuals who were more along the lines of ordinary Americans who did benefit from pardons, alongside the politically connected and those who had personal relationships with President Trump.
But now the ordinary people seem to have been completely forgotten.
I also want to talk to you about Ed Martin, the new pardon attorney who now holds the position you once held. [after his original nomination as US Attorney was withdrawn due to clear Senate objections]
He fully supported the pardons of January 6 rioters, [indeed he had been representing some of them and served on the board of a pro-J6er organization] including those who were convicted of violently assaulting police. And, recently, when Ed Martin was praising Trump's decision to pardon convicted Virginia Sheriff Scott Jenkins, Martin posted on X: "No MAGA left behind."
What message does that send and what does it mean that Martin is now in this position?
[Oyer:]
It sends a message that the pardon power is now being totally and thoroughly politicized, that it will be used as a benefit to those who are supporters of the president and not for those who do not express political loyalty.
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