President Trump is expected to issue up to 100 pardons and commutations on Tuesday, a senior official and a senior White House official tell CBS News. Tuesday marks Mr Trump’s last full day in the office.
Neither source has disclosed any of the recipients, although the president is currently not expected to attempt to pardon himself, a source said. CNN reported the expectation of up to 100 leniency acts for the first time this week.
The White House has invited guests to a broadcast ceremony on Wednesday at 8pm for the president at Andrews joint base, four hours before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
The expected leniency actions would come less than a week after Mr. Trump dropped off a second time, this time for inciting rebellion after the Capitol riots on January 6.
As of this writing, Mr. Trump has pardoned 70, the majority of them in December, according to Justice Department data. The president waited until after the November election to grant some of his most controversial pardons, including for former campaign chairman Paul Manafort; son-in-law Jared Kushner’s father, Charles Kushner; and longtime ally Roger Stone.
By the time President Obama left office, he had pardoned 212 people; 189 were pardoned by President George W. Bush; and 396 were pardoned by President Clinton, according to the Justice Department.
Presidents often step up their leniency campaigns before leaving office. A pardon wipes away a person’s conviction, while a commutation only shortens or ends a sentence.
The president’s pardon powers are virtually unlimited when it comes to federal crimes. The presidential pardon power allows the president to pardon any federal crime, but not state crimes. Article II of the Constitution states that the president “will have the power to reprieve and pardon crimes against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.”
Kathryn Watson contributed to this report.