Trump denies nearly 6K federal clemency applications

President Donald Trump denied 5,908 pending federal clemency applications this month, rejecting thousands of requests submitted through the Justice Department's traditional review process.

Justice Department records list 5,607 commutation applications and 301 pardon petitions denied July 10, according to separate rosters published by the Office of the Pardon Attorney.

The denials were disclosed in a July 14 letter from U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin to U.S. attorneys nationwide, informing federal prosecutors that his office began issuing the rejections July 10.

The letter cited Trump's constitutional clemency authority but did not explain why the applications were rejected or indicate whether the president personally reviewed each request before the denials were issued.

The Justice Department, which updated its public lists July 15, did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the mass rejections or the review process used to reach the decisions.

Under Article II of the Constitution, presidents have broad authority to grant reprieves and pardons for federal offenses, except in cases of impeachment, without approval from Congress or the courts.

A pardon generally forgives a federal conviction after a sentence has been completed, while a commutation reduces a person's sentence without erasing the underlying conviction.

The action followed months of speculation that Trump might commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary by granting clemency to as many as 250 people whose applications were under consideration.

A White House official said there was never a finalized plan and that the proposal was only an idea discussed internally, adding that Trump makes all final decisions concerning pardons and commutations.

Instead, Trump issued 17 pardons July 3, with most benefiting individuals and companies convicted of Clean Air Act-related offenses, according to the Justice Department's clemency records.

The recipients included Republican donor Adam Kidan, who had been convicted of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud in connection with a fraudulent casino acquisition.

Mark Osler, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, told The New York Times that four people represented by the school's federal commutation clinic were among the applicants rejected.

"It's very discouraging," Osler said. "They're not giving a fair shake to the people who have followed the rules, who have been leaders in prison, who have done all the programming they can, who have truly changed themselves for the better."

Large batches of clemency denials are not unprecedented, though the action contrasts with Trump's relatively limited use of formal denials during his first administration.

Justice Department statistics show former President Joe Biden denied 10,375 commutation requests and 3,500 pardon applications during his presidency while granting 4,165 commutations and 80 pardons, including relief for thousands of nonviolent offenders.

During Trump's first term, he denied 98 commutation requests and 82 pardon petitions, while 76% of the applications submitted during that administration remained pending when he left office, according to Justice Department statistics.