President Trump Grants Pardons to Loyal Allies \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ President Donald Trump has issued a fresh wave of pardons favoring political allies, celebrities, and loyal supporters. The clemency decisions bypass traditional review processes, further politicizing the justice system. Critics argue these actions reward loyalty and erode public trust in legal institutions.
Quick Looks
- President Trump pardons allies, ex-politicians, and TV personalities.
- Included: Michael Grimm, John Rowland, NBA YoungBoy, the Chrisleys.
- Trump bypasses DOJ pardon procedures, installing loyalists in key roles.
- Clemency seen as reward for political support and loyalty.
- Public Integrity Section weakened; critics warn of lasting damage.
- Trump criticizes past prosecutions as “deep state” persecution.
- Ed Martin now oversees clemency reviews, replacing fired Liz Oyer.
- Clemency continues trend seen in Trump’s first term pardons.
Deep Look
President Donald Trump has once again wielded the power of presidential clemency to benefit a select group of political allies, celebrities, and loyal supporters—some with deep ties to his administration and campaign. The latest round of pardons, announced from the White House this week, has reignited widespread criticism over what legal experts call a deeply politicized and personal use of presidential power.
The list of recipients includes several controversial figures: former Republican congressman Michael Grimm, former Connecticut governor John Rowland, rap artist NBA YoungBoy, and reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, all of whom had previously been convicted of serious federal crimes ranging from tax fraud and bank defraud to campaign violations and weapons offenses.
Grimm, a former Marine and FBI agent, pleaded guilty in 2014 to underreporting wages and revenue at a Manhattan restaurant he owned. After serving an eight-month prison sentence and resigning from Congress, he attempted a political comeback in 2018, which failed. Trump’s pardon erases the federal conviction that once ended his career.
Rowland, once seen as a rising star in the Republican Party, resigned as governor amid a corruption scandal, was convicted of accepting gifts from state contractors, and later imprisoned again for hiding his role in political campaigns. His two federal convictions and 30-month sentence are now erased by executive order.
The Chrisleys, made famous by their reality show Chrisley Knows Best, were convicted in 2022 for submitting false documents to banks to secure $30 million in loans and hiding income from the IRS. They had served less than two years of their combined 19-year sentence when Trump issued them full pardons.
Trump’s pardons continue a pattern established during his first term: bypassing the traditional Department of Justice clemency process and instead issuing pardons based on political calculations, loyalty, or celebrity status. Critics argue this has transformed clemency from a mechanism of justice and mercy into a tool for political reward.
Former DOJ pardon attorney Liz Oyer, who was fired earlier this year, said she was dismissed for refusing to approve politically motivated pardons, including one involving the restoration of gun rights to actor Mel Gibson, a prominent Trump supporter. “He is using pardons to essentially override jury decisions, reject judge-imposed sentences, and serve personal and political goals,” Oyer said.
The new head of the pardon office is Ed Martin, a staunch Trump ally who briefly served as interim U.S. attorney in Washington. He has signaled he will not only review past Biden-era pardons but also reexamine the convictions of two men sentenced for plotting to kidnap Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer—raising concerns that Trump’s use of clemency is doubling as political retribution.
Trump’s approach to presidential power has frequently challenged traditional legal norms. He has repeatedly criticized the Justice Department and the FBI, portraying his own legal troubles—including multiple indictments—as politically motivated persecution by a “deep state” apparatus. That narrative has helped him build alliances across party lines with public officials who also claim they were unfairly prosecuted.
Earlier this year, Trump pardoned former Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, asserting the disgraced governor had been “set up by a lot of bad people—some of the same people I had to deal with.” Trump also nullified convictions of several former aides linked to the Russia investigation and promised clemency to all those charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot. On his first day of his current term, he issued blanket pardons and sentence commutations to more than 1,500 participants in that unprecedented assault on Congress.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section—once a pillar of post-Watergate reforms aimed at holding public officials accountable—has been dramatically weakened. Many of its prosecutors have left amid internal clashes with leadership. The department dropped high-profile investigations, including one into New York Mayor Eric Adams, reportedly to secure his cooperation on Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Historically, clemency decisions were filtered through the Office of the Pardon Attorney, which reviewed applications from lesser-known offenders—often drug offenders or nonviolent criminals—who demonstrated rehabilitation and remorse. Under Trump, that office has been hollowed out, and pardon recommendations now flow through political channels.
Presidential historian Julian Zelizer of Princeton University describes Trump’s clemency use as emblematic of his leadership style: “He uses presidential powers to reward allies, settle scores, and signal loyalty—not to uphold justice. His pardons are not exceptions but part of a larger framework of how he governs.”
Although other presidents have issued controversial pardons—such as Gerald Ford’s pardon of Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton’s 11th-hour pardon of financier Marc Rich, and Joe Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter—the scale, visibility, and overt politicization of Trump’s actions stand apart. Observers argue that the core function of clemency as a last resort for justice has been replaced by a loyalty test.
As President Trump enters the second year of his current term, his latest clemency spree underscores a dramatic reshaping of one of the presidency’s most absolute powers. For critics, it signals a fundamental threat to impartial justice. For his supporters, it’s another example of Trump disrupting a system they believe is biased and broken.
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