Every President's Most Controversial Pardon, Ranked
Why do presidents pardon people? It depends on the situation and who you ask, as the topic of presidential pardons is ripe with controversy. United States history is no stranger to political scandals and presidential corruption, and pardons are often a cause of public outrage. Oftentimes, individuals granted clemency by the Commander in Chief become the subject of national debate. Even partial pardons - like commuted sentences - are often met with backlash. Here, you'll find every president's most controversial pardon, ranked by your votes.
As they're absolved of past criminal convictions, people who have been pardoned by the president get a second chance at life. However, there is a lot of disagreement in regards to who actually deserves a second chance. The nation was appalled when Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon for his part in Watergate, as Americans were desperate to see reparation for widespread political corruption. Donald Trump's pardon of Joe Arpaio sparked a debate as to whether the Arizona sheriff was a deeply prejudiced tyrant or an unsung champion of justice. What other presidential pardons have shocked Americans? Vote up the pardons you find controversial below.
Dr. Samuel Mudd helped Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth, escape shortly after Booth shot Lincoln. While he was sentenced to life in prison for his actions, Andrew Johnson gave him a full and unconditional pardon.
SourceHands down Gerald Ford's most controversial pardon was that of Richard Nixon. The former president received a full, unconditional pardon for his role in the Watergate Scandal, which resulted in his resignation. Nixon is the only former president to receive a pardon.
Calvin Coolidge had a few controversial pardons of his own, including that of German spy Lothar Witzke. Along with spying for Germany, Witzke was involved with a 1916 bombing attack on New York Harbor that left seven dead. After being pardoned, Witzke was deported to Germany.
SourceBill Clinton kept it in the family when granting controversial pardons. He pardoned his brother, Roger Clinton, Jr., for 1985 convictions of cocaine possession and drug-trafficking. Roger Clinton later received several DUIs.
SourceGeorge H. W. Bush pardoned Armand Hammer for his crime of making illegal contributions to the Nixon campaign. The timing of the pardon was controversial as Hammer had contributed over $100,000 to the Republican party shortly before he was absolved of wrong-doing.
SourceWoodrow Wilson issued the only full executive pardon to someone convicted under the Espionage Act when he pardoned Frederick Krafft in 1918. Krafft was accused - and found guilty of - attempting to cause insubordination and disloyalty towards the American government and armed forces. There were multiple accounts of the incident in question and Krafft denied all charges against him.
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