Source: Reason
by CJ Ciaramella
“The end of a presidential administration always brings with it a last-minute pardon spree. In recent years the practice has led pundits and politicians to worry that the men occupying the Oval Office don’t have the ethics to handle such broad power. … In recent years, lawmakers in Congress have proposed constitutional amendments to stop presidents from pardoning themselves, family members, and cronies. But while it’s been amply demonstrated over the past two administrations that pardons can be used for self-serving ends — nepotism, buying loyalty, shielding unrepentant lackeys — they are still a crucial check on judicial and legislative excess.” (for publication 04/25)
https://reason.com/2025/03/11/preserving-mercy-in-presidential-pardons/