Mark Osler, professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law and a former federal prosecutor, spoke with USA TODAY about President Donald Trump’s expansive use of presidential clemency during his second term, offering legal and historical context for how the pardon power is being used and what it signals about executive authority.
From the story:
"It's a way that he can send political messages where he doesn't need to appropriate money. He doesn't need Congress to come along. He doesn't face the risk of being sued," former federal prosecutor now law professor Mark Osler said in an interview with USA TODAY. "It's not surprising he's embraced it in this way."
In a review of the other individual cases Trump has granted clemency to this year, about half of them are for white-collar crimes, including fraud, bribery and tax evasion. Some people have had reported personal or financial connections to Trump, like Paul Walczak convicted of tax evasion, whose mother is a longtime Republican donor, and Julio Herrera Velutini, whose daughter donated millions to a MAGA PAC, CBS News first reported.
