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By the Numbers: Presidential Pardons

1

It appears there is only one person in the United States that a president cannot offer a pardon to, and that is the sitting president. Although it is not clear in the article incorporating pardons that a president cannot pardon himself, legal scholars have said that “nemo judex in causa sua” (no one should be a judge in their own cause) is a longstanding common law principle that should apply here, although several have said there is really no answer to whether a president can pardon himself until one attempts to do so.

2

The number of presidents who did not issue any pardons. Both William Harrison and James Garfield died soon after becoming president (Harrison of pneumonia and Garfield by assassination).

16

The number of pardons issued by President George Washington between 1789 and 1797.

64

The number of pardons issued by President Barack Obama between 2009 and 2017.

74

The number of the Federalist Paper in which Alexander Hamilton addressed pardons:  “Humanity and good policy conspire to dictate, that the benign prerogative of pardoning should be as little as possible fettered or embarrassed.”

176

The number of pardons issued by President George W. Bush between 2001 and 2009.

409

The number of pardons issued by President Gerald Ford between 1974 and 1977, including Proclamation 4311, granting pardon to his predecessor, Richard Nixon. Ford justified the pardon in the proclamation by writing, “the tranquility to which this nation has been restored by the events of recent weeks could be irreparably lost by the prospects of bringing to trial a former President of the United States.” Ford granted “a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 20, 1969 through August 9, 1974 (the day Nixon left office).”

456

The number of pardons issued by President Bill Clinton between 1993 and 2001.

1,332

The number of pardons issued by President Ulysses S. Grant between 1869 and 1877.

3,687

The number of pardons issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during his four terms.

1789

The year the power of pardons was granted to U.S. presidents under Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution.

Source:  U.S. Department of Justice, politifact.com

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