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How Presidential Pardons Work

By: Patrick J. Kiger  |  Updated: Dec 15, 2020

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  • The American Presidency Project. "Andrew Johnson: Proclamation of Amnesty and Pardon for the Confederate States." UCSB.edu. (Dec. 12, 2020) https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/proclamation-179-granting-full-pardon-and-amnesty-for-the-offense-treason-against-the
  • Askin, Frank. "Congress's power to compel." Washington Post. July 21, 2007. (Dec. 13, 2020) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/20/AR2007072001802.html
  • Associated Press. "Reagan Pardons Steinbrenner, 9 Others." Los Angeles Times. Jan. 20, 1989. (Dec. 13, 2020) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-01-20-mn-957-story.html
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  • Blakemore, Erin. "The contentious history of U.S. presidential pardons—from the Whiskey Rebellion to Watergate." National Geographic. Dec. 4, 2020. (Dec. 14, 2020) https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/12/controversial-history-presidential-pardons-from-watergate-to-whiskey-rebellion/
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  • Gerstein, Josh and Cheney, Kyle. "'Any and all possible offenses': Trump pardon grants Flynn a sweeping reprieve." Politico. Dec. 1, 2020. (Dec. 13, 2020) https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/30/trump-flynn-pardon-reprieve-441527
  • Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. "Lincoln, Abraham (1809-1865) [Presidential pardon of Arthur O'Bryan, who had been convicted in the District of Columbia of attempted bestiality in August 1857]." https://www.gilderlehrman.org/collection/glc04335
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  • Glass, Andrew. "President Ford pardons 'Tokyo Rose,' Jan. 19, 1977." Politico. Jan. 19, 2017. (Dec. 14, 2020) https://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/president-ford-pardons-tokyo-rose-jan-19-1977-233646
  • Hagen, Carrie. "The First Presidential Pardon Pitted Alexander Hamilton Against George Washington." Smithsonian. Aug. 29, 2017. (Dec. 13, 2020) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/first-presidential-pardon-pitted-hamilton-against-george-washington-180964659/
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  • Martin, Douglas. "Marc Rich, Financier and Famous Fugitive, Dies at 78." New York Times. June 26, 2013. (Dec. 14, 2020) https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/27/business/marc-rich-pardoned-financier-dies-at-78.html
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  • Panetta, Grace. "Trump calls the Mueller probe 'a hoax' in his first public comments since the release of the investigation's redacted report." Business Insider. April 18, 2019. (Dec. 13, 2020) https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-calls-mueller-probe-hoax-after-redacted-report-release-2019-4
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  • Reinhard, Beth and Gearan, Anne. "Most Trump clemency grants bypass Justice Dept. and go to well-connected offenders." Washington Post. Feb. 3, 2020. (Dec. 14, 2020) https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/most-clemency-grants-bypass-doj-and-go-to-well-connected-offenders/2020/02/03/4e8f3eb2-21ce-11ea-9c2b-060477c13959_story.html
  • Ruckman, P.S. Jr. "Presidential Character and Executive Clemency: A Re-Examination." Northern Illinois University. Dec. 13, 2020) https://docplayer.net/20923377-Presidential-character-and-executive-clemency-a-re-examination-p-s-ruckman-jr-northern-illinois-university.html
  • Shanor, Charles and Miller, Mark. "Pardon us: Systematic Presidential Pardons." Federal Sentencing Reporter. Caliber.UCPress.net. 2000-2001. (Dec. 13, 2020) https://online.ucpress.edu/fsr/article-abstract/13/3-4/139/42556/Pardon-Us-Systematic-Presidential-Pardons?redirectedFrom=fulltext
  • Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller, III. "Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In the 2016 Presidential Election. Vol. I of II." Justice.gov. March 2019. (Dec. 13, 2020) https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
  • Thompson, Richard M. II. "The President's Pardon Power and Legal Effects on Collateral Consequences." Congressional Research Service. July 26, 2016. (Dec. 14, 2020) https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44571.pdf
  • Time magazine. "Notorious Presidential Pardons: The gift of freedom, Jimmy Hoffa, 1971." Time.com (Dec. 14, 2020) http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1862257_1862325_1862316,00.html
  • University of Missouri-Kansas City Law. "The Constitution and impeachment." UMKC.edu. (Dec. 13, 2002) http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/impeach/constitution.html
  • U.S. Department of Justice. "Federal Statutes Imposing Collateral Consequences Upon Conviction." Justice.gov. November 2000. (Dec. 14, 2020) https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/pardon/legacy/2006/11/13/collateral_consequences.pdf
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. "United States of America v. Michael T, Flynn, Defendant. Notice of Executive Grant of Clemency and Consent Motion to Dismiss as Moot." Politico.com. Nov. 30, 2020. (Dec. 13, 2020) https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000176-1b60-d27b-a5f6-db7067980000
  • U.S. Constitution. "Constitutional topic: Presidential pardons." Usconstitution.net . (Dec. 13, 2020) http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_pard.html
  • U.S. Constitution. "U.S. Constitution - Article 2 Section 2." Usconstitution.net. (Dec. 13, 2020) http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_A2Sec2.html
  • U.S. Dept. of Justice. "Standards for the consideration of clemency pardons." Justice.gov. Feb. 22, 2018. (Dec. 13, 2020) https://www.justice.gov/pardon/legal-authority-governing-executive-clemency
  • Wegmann, Mary Ann. "Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop and the Battle of New Orleans." New Orleans Historical Society. (Dec. 14, 2020) https://bit.ly/3anLQVt
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  • The White House. "Biography of William Henry Harrison." Whitehouse.gov. (Dec. 13, 2020) https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/william-henry-harrison/
  • Yale Law School. "Federalist No 74." The Avalon Project at Yale Law School. (Dec. 13, 2020) https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed74.asp
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