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Comment by wmf | Hacker News Reader

Pardons are so rare that it's not a good use of brain space for most people. They have been in the news more in recent years due to you know who.

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The rules, in general, are simple and it's spelled out in the constitution. Why shouldn't people know it?

> Despite a burst of pardons and commutations in his last hours in office, Donald Trump used his executive clemency power less frequently than nearly every other president since the turn of the 20th century, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Justice Department data.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/01/22/trump-used-...

I mean... fine, but IMO it's not the number of pardons issued that made this top of mind, but rather the constant controversy around people given pardons, gossip about people who requested pardons, and speculation about the legality of a potential self-pardon.

As opposed to the non-existent controversy over Carter pardoning draft dodgers?

Or the non-existent controversy over Clinton pardoning Patty Hearst and members of the Weather Underground?

Or the non-existent controversy over Clinton pardoning his half-brother?

Or the non-existent controversy over Obama commuting the sentence of Chelsea Manning?

That last one was a win.

Between Manning and Assange, whom do you think is more deserving of a pardon?

False dichotomy; pardon them both, plus Snowden.

But if what you're fishing for is that Assange did more for the world, was more dis-proportionally persecuted with less legal justification, then yes.

The idea I’m trying to explore is the appropriateness of all the presidential pardon decisions. I agree with you, both deserve pardons.

Listing the pardons by appropriateness is just one component that may help analyze the issue. That’s what I meant by asking the question.

Fewer in number, but much higher in corrupt intent, even compared with the usual bunch of ~sketchy pardons for donors and friends.

Would you mind elaborating on which ones you found sketchy, preferably spanning administrations?

Above all I do not want to argue politics. I am not a supporter of the previous President. Nor am I a supporter of the current. In the past I have voted for Democrats and Republicans but I’m pretty sure it’s protest 3rd party votes for me for the foreseeable future.

Michael Flynn. Scooter Libby. Joe Arpaio. Steve Bannon. Paul Manafort. Roger Stone. etc. etc.

Those all check out with me as sketchy.

Are there more and do you think other administrations have participated in this affront to justice?

I can imagine the Clintons doing some sketchy stuff.

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