Mark Osler, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law and director of its Federal Commutations Clinic, spoke with NBC News about a lobbying effort urging President Donald Trump to pardon a former Indiana politician who fled the country before serving his prison sentence. Osler discussed historical examples of fugitives receiving presidential clemency and how recent uses of the pardon power have departed from long-standing norms.
From the story:
Mark Osler, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis who studies presidential clemency power, said cases of people being pardoned after fleeing the country are rare but not unheard of. After taking office in 1977, President Jimmy Carter pardoned men who evaded the Vietnam War draft, including those who went overseas. Before leaving office, President Bill Clinton in 2001 pardoned billionaire businessman Marc Rich, who absconded to Switzerland after being indicted by the U.S. government in 1983 for tax evasion, fraud and illegal business dealings.
Trump could easily make a similar move, Osler said. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Kollintzas’ case.
“Right now, there’s a sense that the usual rules don’t apply,” Osler added.
