Pardon records under Trump spark political debate

Two lawmakers are digging into how pardons were handled during the last administration. They want to see if big donors or political favors played a role in who got clemency. The request covers 17 specific cases, including one businessman convicted of fraud in an electric vehicle scam that never got off the ground. A recent report found that nearly all of the pardons went to people who didn’t follow the usual rules. Normally, the Justice Department reviews pardon requests before they reach the president. But under Trump, some people bypassed that system entirely. Instead, they met with the president directly, sometimes through Secret Service channels. Critics argue this raises questions about fairness and transparency.The White House insists there’s nothing wrong with how clemencies were decided. They say the president has full authority to pardon, and officials followed proper procedures. But the lawmakers aren’t convinced. They point out that pardons often went to wealthy influencers or political allies rather than people who followed the traditional process. What’s clear is that the usual checks and balances were ignored in many cases. Instead of relying on the Justice Department’s experts, the decision-making relied on personal connections and last-minute appeals. That shift has left many wondering whether the system was truly fair or just another way to reward loyalty.