presidential pardons

Kim Kardashian met with Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss criminal justice reform.

Politics & Government

Kim Kardashian visits the White House to highlight criminal justice reform

4:41pm April 25, 2024

by Deepa Shivaram

Vice President Harris and Kardashian are meeting with four people convicted of non-violent drug offenses who received pardons this week from President Biden.

Blackwater guards, from left, Dustin Heard, Evan Liberty, Nicholas Slatten and Paul Slough were pardoned by President Trump this week. The former government contractors were convicted in a 2007 massacre in Baghdad that left more a dozen Iraqi civilians de

Shock And Dismay After Trump Pardons Blackwater Guards Who Killed 14 Iraqi Civilians

8:14pm December 23, 2020

by Laurel Wamsley

"We were surprised that the American president issued a decision to pardon these criminals, murderers and thugs," says an Iraqi man who was shot in the 2007 massacre at Baghdad's Nisour Square.

President Trump commuted the sentence of and later pardoned Alice Marie Johnson, who had received a life term in a drug case.

National

Opinion: The Truth About Pardons

6:22pm December 05, 2020

by Scott Simon

The history of presidential pardons is often surprising — and revealing.

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Michael Cohen, former lawyer to President Trump, leaves the federal courthouse Tuesday in New York City.

Michael Cohen's Lawyer Says His Client Would Never Accept Pardon From 'Corrupt' Trump

1:39pm August 22, 2018

by Colin Dwyer

Trump's longtime attorney and fixer pleaded guilty Tuesday to eight counts. Lawyer Lanny Davis tells NPR that Cohen considers Trump "to be both corrupt and a dangerous person in the Oval Office."

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Jack Johnson, seen here in New York City in 1932, was the first black world heavyweight champion. On Thursday, President Trump granted him a rare posthumous pardon, clearing his name more than a century after a racially charged conviction.

Legendary Boxer Jack Johnson Gets Pardon, 105 Years After Baseless Conviction

5:22pm May 24, 2018

by Camila Domonoske

The black world heavyweight champion was convicted of a crime in 1913 for traveling with a white girlfriend. President Trump issued a rare posthumous pardon after an appeal from Sylvester Stallone.

Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio's bid to have his criminal conviction vacated was denied by a federal judge. Arpaio is seen here at a Trump rally last year.

Federal Judge Will Not Void Guilty Ruling On Arpaio, Despite Trump's Pardon

12:05pm October 20, 2017

by Bill Chappell

Citing legal precedents, Bolton said that while a pardon removes the threat of punishment, it does not "blot out guilt."

National

After Hinting At It During Phoenix Rally, Trump Issues Pardon For Arpaio

10:47pm August 25, 2017

by Jimmy Jenkins

The former Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff was convicted of criminal contempt for refusing to halt racial profiling activity while in office. The White House cited his age as one factor in the pardon.

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The White House is seen reflected in a rainwater puddle on Friday, July 28, 2017 — amid very stormy times in Washington, D.C.

Could Trump Pardon Himself? Probably Not.

12:04pm July 29, 2017

by Nina Totenberg

No president in history has done that, but some likely have contemplated it.

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Edward Snowden speaks in September via video link from Moscow during a news conference with Human Rights Watch to call upon President Obama to pardon Snowden before leaving office.

Obama Faces Difficult Choices Amid Stream Of Last-Minute Clemency Requests

4:05pm December 29, 2016

by Carrie Johnson

The White House is flooded with last-ditch requests for clemency by several prominent applicants including NSA leaker Edward Snowden and former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Men dressed as Secret Service agents stand guard next to Tom One and Tom Two, this year's turkey and alternate.

The Strange Truth Behind Presidential Turkey Pardons

9:32pm November 25, 2015

by Domenico Montanaro

Presidents have been pardoning turkeys for decades. But why? They used to eat them, actually. The history of the tradition is an odd and sad tale with lots of myths.