Are these pardons or commutations? There is a meaningful difference.
Also, the reasons for the commutations should be discussed.
This isn't to necessarily defend Biden's actions here, and especially not in general. He's still building up an infrastructure that'll be used to persecute immigrants and is funding the genocide of Palestinians.
"Those commutations were extended to people on Covid-related home confinement after federal authorities verified that their offenses were nonviolent and not a sex offense or terrorism related, the official said. They were also all considered a low risk for recidivism, had not engaged in any violent or gang-related activity while in prison and had been on good behavior for at least a year. None of the commutations granted were individual decisions, the official added, and none who met the criteria were excluded."
Presidential pardons are always a messy process and few are open and shut cases. Any pardon is going to make someone mad, so the justification for giving it ought to be pretty damn tight, and thoroughly explained. Given that, these four pardons are hard to fathom when so many incarcerated individuals more deserving of a fresh start remain behind bars. I still remember the uproar when Clinton pardoned Marc Rich, and his crimes pale in comparison to Conahan’s. And yet this time around barely a shrug from legacy media. Just because Trump normalized these egregious types of pardons doesn’t mean we should do it too.
A closer look at Biden's political history would have you scratching your head when you hear people describe him as any sort of left leaning.
He has consistantly "reached across the isle" to bring the democratic party further to the right, in my opinion, leaning so far as to fall out of his chair and land squarely on the right of just about everything.
There was a 2017 documentary film called All the Queen's Horses about the Rita Crundwell embezzlement case. What possible explanation could there be for these pardons, other than complicit cronyism or complete incompetence?
I agree with everything you said Qasim. I’m appalled to hear Biden pardoned these people & will let him know my feelings. It’s very easy to text him. Everyone should do it.
Funny....1000s maybe 10s of 1000s of poorer less privileged people of all races and ethnicities and religions in Federal Prisons due to President Dr Strangelove's time as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee where as best friend and Allie of Segregation Now Segregation Forever Strom Thurman worked with Bill and Hillary Clinton to Expand Federal Prisons .....originally state had Prisons....the Federal Government didn't reach into individual states to send people to state prisons....
Joe Biden is an extraordinary hypocrite....to pardon his son......not just for what still looks like Ukrainian Bribery Emoluments Money going into the family of the Man that Barack Obama appointed Governor General of US possession Ukraine with the power to select Ukraine's "leaders" as detailed in Victoria Nuland phone call that proves that Joe Biden personally selected Ukraines then head of state.
But he also pardoned him for crimes he personally sent 1000s of poor kids to prison for.
Sort of reminds me how concerned they were about Britney Griner in Russia but not 1000s in Mississippi and Georgia and etc etc or even a "no name" not famous school teacher in Russia they left behind to rescue the rich famous celebrity... who didn't deserve to be there..
Rita in Dixon Illinois and a judge I always thought should have got life in prison for multiple counts of kidnapping for financial profits. I may edit more later.... I live close to Dixon Illinois....most famous as the small town that Ronald Reagan escaped from as soon as he could and the 53 or 54 million dollars Embezzlement by what I believe was a white college educated woman I believe that Joe Biden identifies with.
And not that if would make that much difference now but in the 1980'S about 20 young men were convicted of Not Registering For The Selective Service in Show Trials intended to inspire fear... Followed by The Solomon Amendment... establishing A Bill Of Attainer to deny student loans student grants and a college degree to Men Only who believed in the ideas and ideals of American Paper Saint Martin Luther King Jr as expressed in his 1967 anti war speech and elsewhere...and acted on those beliefs.
Joe Biden could pardon those people and say that he believes people who oppose war deserve respect and that just as the United States government should not discriminate against women it also should not discriminate against men either!
I'm not holding my breath.
Mr Dodo B Bird. American Dissident Artist and Environmentalist and Lifelong Poverty Wage Worker
This is so alarming and crushing of the spirit of justice. I am floored. Disappointed doesn’t begin to register my disgust. I wrote President Biden and President Obama asking for a pardon for Leonard Peltier and he isn’t included in this list and these people are? What in the world?
Ugh. I didn't read the details of Biden's pardon dump as I've pulled back from the day-to-day nonsense that is now ongoing.
I am shocked and appalled at not only some of these pardons but as Qasim pointed out, who has not been pardoned.
We all know, as does Biden, that pardons of most if not all Jan 6th criminals is coming. I fear some of Biden's pardons will just give Trump cover for what he is about to do.
I had forgiven Biden for some of his early sins, the Thomas hearings, crime bill, et. al. It seems he perhaps did not ever really change.
And to those who view criticism of Biden's pardon as somehow treason against the "blue" cause, I say you need to reflect on the fact that wrong is wrong no matter who does it. I think we are where we are today because underneath all the window dressing and cheap words, the Democratic and Republican parties are a lot closer than we care to admit.
Thank you and well said, Paul. And thanks for reiterating a point most are missing -- it's not just about who he has pardoned/commuted, but who he still refuses to pardon/commute.
There is no point demanding Biden stops these injustices. He will not. It’s who he is. He’s already been voted out of office, he’s got nothing at all to gain, he’s had big piles of money given to him, why’s he gonna change now?
The democrats are a lost cause. They have been bought by the people they’re supposed to oppose. Kamala Harris chose to obey her donors rather than win the election. It’s over now.
It might take two or three or five cycles to build a viable opposition to the republicans from scratch, but we have to start or we will never finish. Sink the democrats. Done with now.
Thank you for this. It is certainly new to me. I have to say in my 70+ years I was naive about the government. Much of what I was taught is a lie. I dread the coming fascistic state. I will die in a fascist country. That breaks my heart.
Thank you for doing this research. This is yet another example of Joe Biden's lack of morals. It is amazing how many people mistake Biden for a good person because he went through horrible family deaths, but the Gaza genocide has shown his true character for people who had doubts.
Personally, as a feminist, I watched with horror every moment of the hearings where Biden was the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and refused to allow testimony of 3 other women who wanted to back up Anita Hill with their own experiences. Biden refused them and we are still stuck with the lying sack of crap, Clarence Thomas. thanks Joe.
Remember, Biden is the guy who had the power of the presidency, and he watched and did nothing while Trump committed crime after crime. And Leonard Peltier!!!
Thank you for writing about this. Why in the world were these people chosen for pardons?
Biden, unfortunately, will go down in history next to James Buchanan. Buchanan didn't stop the Civil War, and Biden didn't stop–well, whatever we're going to call what's coming.
Too late. Citizens United was made law in 2010. That gave the corporations the same rights as human beings BUT the corporations have sooo much more money. So they bought and paid for almost every member of congress. So how would you plan on changing things because it looks to me like we are officially in the crosshairs now. I wipe my ass on the flag.
We have to do mutual aid and build of parallel structures of power. I'm an autistic non-binary disabled person and I am absolutely in the crosshairs. I have no choice but to fight back. By giving blood, paying my dues to the IWW, by handing out food to those in need in my community, by standing up if I see a hate crime and offering support whenever I have anything else to give.
I’m just old and pissed as hell and have no problem letting my elected scum know. This is what we are going to hand over to the coming generations? It is my generation that I am the most angry at. All that peace and love and now they screw their own children and grandchildren. We need to start by taking out the oligarchs and putting critical thinking back in schools at the elementary level so we have a population that knows how to think instead of being told what to think.
Absolutely! Education is vital, and thinking about how to gather and analyse information instead of memorizing it. That's why the right are working so hard at banning books and the Koch brothers set up that stupid Prager U propaganda.
The structures of power that make up the political entity of the USA are a disgrace. But not all of the more than 330 million people who live here are. We don't need to be slaves. We need to build something better.
Dems have a lot of explaining to do. Party leadership is utterly failing to protect We the People from the bad actions of a few oligarchs. The Dem party isn't liberal. If the election didn't wake them up, we're going to have to keep speaking truth until they pay attention.
All outgoing presidents issue pardons, hasn’t you noticed?
Are these pardons or commutations? There is a meaningful difference.
Also, the reasons for the commutations should be discussed.
This isn't to necessarily defend Biden's actions here, and especially not in general. He's still building up an infrastructure that'll be used to persecute immigrants and is funding the genocide of Palestinians.
"Those commutations were extended to people on Covid-related home confinement after federal authorities verified that their offenses were nonviolent and not a sex offense or terrorism related, the official said. They were also all considered a low risk for recidivism, had not engaged in any violent or gang-related activity while in prison and had been on good behavior for at least a year. None of the commutations granted were individual decisions, the official added, and none who met the criteria were excluded."
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/12/13/biden-clemency-judge-michael-conahan-000890
It's ruling class solidarity in action.
Presidential pardons are always a messy process and few are open and shut cases. Any pardon is going to make someone mad, so the justification for giving it ought to be pretty damn tight, and thoroughly explained. Given that, these four pardons are hard to fathom when so many incarcerated individuals more deserving of a fresh start remain behind bars. I still remember the uproar when Clinton pardoned Marc Rich, and his crimes pale in comparison to Conahan’s. And yet this time around barely a shrug from legacy media. Just because Trump normalized these egregious types of pardons doesn’t mean we should do it too.
A closer look at Biden's political history would have you scratching your head when you hear people describe him as any sort of left leaning.
He has consistantly "reached across the isle" to bring the democratic party further to the right, in my opinion, leaning so far as to fall out of his chair and land squarely on the right of just about everything.
Yep. This.
Shocking, but sadly not surprising.
There was a 2017 documentary film called All the Queen's Horses about the Rita Crundwell embezzlement case. What possible explanation could there be for these pardons, other than complicit cronyism or complete incompetence?
Exactly - it's one of those two poisons we're being asked to pick.
I agree with everything you said Qasim. I’m appalled to hear Biden pardoned these people & will let him know my feelings. It’s very easy to text him. Everyone should do it.
Thank you, Carrie.
Funny....1000s maybe 10s of 1000s of poorer less privileged people of all races and ethnicities and religions in Federal Prisons due to President Dr Strangelove's time as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee where as best friend and Allie of Segregation Now Segregation Forever Strom Thurman worked with Bill and Hillary Clinton to Expand Federal Prisons .....originally state had Prisons....the Federal Government didn't reach into individual states to send people to state prisons....
Joe Biden is an extraordinary hypocrite....to pardon his son......not just for what still looks like Ukrainian Bribery Emoluments Money going into the family of the Man that Barack Obama appointed Governor General of US possession Ukraine with the power to select Ukraine's "leaders" as detailed in Victoria Nuland phone call that proves that Joe Biden personally selected Ukraines then head of state.
But he also pardoned him for crimes he personally sent 1000s of poor kids to prison for.
Sort of reminds me how concerned they were about Britney Griner in Russia but not 1000s in Mississippi and Georgia and etc etc or even a "no name" not famous school teacher in Russia they left behind to rescue the rich famous celebrity... who didn't deserve to be there..
Rita in Dixon Illinois and a judge I always thought should have got life in prison for multiple counts of kidnapping for financial profits. I may edit more later.... I live close to Dixon Illinois....most famous as the small town that Ronald Reagan escaped from as soon as he could and the 53 or 54 million dollars Embezzlement by what I believe was a white college educated woman I believe that Joe Biden identifies with.
And not that if would make that much difference now but in the 1980'S about 20 young men were convicted of Not Registering For The Selective Service in Show Trials intended to inspire fear... Followed by The Solomon Amendment... establishing A Bill Of Attainer to deny student loans student grants and a college degree to Men Only who believed in the ideas and ideals of American Paper Saint Martin Luther King Jr as expressed in his 1967 anti war speech and elsewhere...and acted on those beliefs.
Joe Biden could pardon those people and say that he believes people who oppose war deserve respect and that just as the United States government should not discriminate against women it also should not discriminate against men either!
I'm not holding my breath.
Mr Dodo B Bird. American Dissident Artist and Environmentalist and Lifelong Poverty Wage Worker
Dodobbird.pixels.com
This is so alarming and crushing of the spirit of justice. I am floored. Disappointed doesn’t begin to register my disgust. I wrote President Biden and President Obama asking for a pardon for Leonard Peltier and he isn’t included in this list and these people are? What in the world?
He still has time to act. If I were a betting man I'd bet he won't, but I'd love to be proven wrong.
Ugh. I didn't read the details of Biden's pardon dump as I've pulled back from the day-to-day nonsense that is now ongoing.
I am shocked and appalled at not only some of these pardons but as Qasim pointed out, who has not been pardoned.
We all know, as does Biden, that pardons of most if not all Jan 6th criminals is coming. I fear some of Biden's pardons will just give Trump cover for what he is about to do.
I had forgiven Biden for some of his early sins, the Thomas hearings, crime bill, et. al. It seems he perhaps did not ever really change.
And to those who view criticism of Biden's pardon as somehow treason against the "blue" cause, I say you need to reflect on the fact that wrong is wrong no matter who does it. I think we are where we are today because underneath all the window dressing and cheap words, the Democratic and Republican parties are a lot closer than we care to admit.
Thank you and well said, Paul. And thanks for reiterating a point most are missing -- it's not just about who he has pardoned/commuted, but who he still refuses to pardon/commute.
There is no point demanding Biden stops these injustices. He will not. It’s who he is. He’s already been voted out of office, he’s got nothing at all to gain, he’s had big piles of money given to him, why’s he gonna change now?
The democrats are a lost cause. They have been bought by the people they’re supposed to oppose. Kamala Harris chose to obey her donors rather than win the election. It’s over now.
It might take two or three or five cycles to build a viable opposition to the republicans from scratch, but we have to start or we will never finish. Sink the democrats. Done with now.
Thank you for this. It is certainly new to me. I have to say in my 70+ years I was naive about the government. Much of what I was taught is a lie. I dread the coming fascistic state. I will die in a fascist country. That breaks my heart.
Thanks for reading and I appreciate your willingness to continue to learn and grow.
Thank you for doing this research. This is yet another example of Joe Biden's lack of morals. It is amazing how many people mistake Biden for a good person because he went through horrible family deaths, but the Gaza genocide has shown his true character for people who had doubts.
Personally, as a feminist, I watched with horror every moment of the hearings where Biden was the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and refused to allow testimony of 3 other women who wanted to back up Anita Hill with their own experiences. Biden refused them and we are still stuck with the lying sack of crap, Clarence Thomas. thanks Joe.
Remember, Biden is the guy who had the power of the presidency, and he watched and did nothing while Trump committed crime after crime. And Leonard Peltier!!!
Thank you for writing about this. Why in the world were these people chosen for pardons?
Biden, unfortunately, will go down in history next to James Buchanan. Buchanan didn't stop the Civil War, and Biden didn't stop–well, whatever we're going to call what's coming.
The whole country is a disgrace and we are just slaves to the machine.
Too late. Citizens United was made law in 2010. That gave the corporations the same rights as human beings BUT the corporations have sooo much more money. So they bought and paid for almost every member of congress. So how would you plan on changing things because it looks to me like we are officially in the crosshairs now. I wipe my ass on the flag.
We have to do mutual aid and build of parallel structures of power. I'm an autistic non-binary disabled person and I am absolutely in the crosshairs. I have no choice but to fight back. By giving blood, paying my dues to the IWW, by handing out food to those in need in my community, by standing up if I see a hate crime and offering support whenever I have anything else to give.
I’m just old and pissed as hell and have no problem letting my elected scum know. This is what we are going to hand over to the coming generations? It is my generation that I am the most angry at. All that peace and love and now they screw their own children and grandchildren. We need to start by taking out the oligarchs and putting critical thinking back in schools at the elementary level so we have a population that knows how to think instead of being told what to think.
Absolutely! Education is vital, and thinking about how to gather and analyse information instead of memorizing it. That's why the right are working so hard at banning books and the Koch brothers set up that stupid Prager U propaganda.
The structures of power that make up the political entity of the USA are a disgrace. But not all of the more than 330 million people who live here are. We don't need to be slaves. We need to build something better.
Dems have a lot of explaining to do. Party leadership is utterly failing to protect We the People from the bad actions of a few oligarchs. The Dem party isn't liberal. If the election didn't wake them up, we're going to have to keep speaking truth until they pay attention.