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Presidential Pardons

White criminals seeking presidential pardons are nearly four times as likely to succeed as people of color, a ProPublica examination has found.

White criminals seeking presidential pardons are nearly four times as likely to succeed as people of color, a ProPublica examination has found.

41 stories published since 2011

Obama Picks Up the Pace on Commutations, But Pardon Changes Still in Limbo

by Sarah Smith,

Prolific Pardoner? Obama Grants Clemency to 22 Prisoners This Week, But Has Denied Thousands

by Annie Waldman,

Obama Issues 12 Pardons. That’s Still Far Fewer Than Predecessors

by Theodoric Meyer,

Three Things Obama's New Clemency Initiative Doesn't Do

by Kara Brandeisky,

President Obama Tells Clarence Aaron He Can Finally Go Home

by Cora Currier,

The Sweeping Presidential Power to Help Prisoners That Holder Didn’t Mention

by Cora Currier,

Clarence Aaron Still Waiting for Clemency, Months after Report Found Pardon Atty Misrepresented Case

by Cora Currier,

Despite New Pardons, Obama’s Clemency Rate is Still Lowest in Recent History

by Cora Currier,

IG Report: Senior Justice Department Official Shares Blame in Botched Clemency Case

by Dafna Linzer,

Head of Pardons Office Withheld Facts From White House in Key Case

by Dafna Linzer,

Obama Has Granted Clemency More Rarely Than Any Modern President

by Dafna Linzer,

Details Emerge on Government Study of Presidential Pardons

by Dafna Linzer,

Obama Administration Wants Review of Prisoner’s Commutation Request

by Dafna Linzer,

Congressional Leader Calls for Investigation of the Pardon Office

by Dafna Linzer,

Video: Clarence Aaron on PBS Frontline's 'Snitch'

by ProPublica,

Pardon Attorney Torpedoes Plea for Presidential Mercy

by Dafna Linzer,

Timeline: Tracking Aaron's Quest for Clemency

by Dafna Linzer,

Law School Clinic for Pardons Planned

by Dafna Linzer,

House Panel Queries Attorney General About Pardon Office

by Dafna Linzer,

Barbour Says Pardoned Murderers Deserved 'a Second Chance'

by Dafna Linzer,

In Mississippi, Identities of Pardon Applicants Must Be Public

by Dafna Linzer,

Pardons and Presidents – A Washington Post Editorial

by Mike Webb,

Perry More Generous With Pardons Than Romney

by Lois Beckett,

How the Nixon Pardon Strained a Presidential Friendship

by ProPublica,

Racial Disparity in Presidential Pardons: What Can Be Done?

by Lois Beckett and Robin Respaut,

Congressional Letters: Power and Persuasion Don't Always Add Up to Pardons

by Robin Respaut,

Michele Bachmann Lobbied For Campaign Donor's Pardon

by Dafna Linzer,

Top 10 Elected Officials Who Wrote Letters on Behalf of Pardon Applicants

by Robin Respaut,

Document Dive: Politicians and Pardons

by Krista Kjellman Schmidt,

Pardon Applicants Benefit From Friends in High Places

by Dafna Linzer,

Timeline: A History of Pardons

by Robin Respaut, Al Shaw and Krista Kjellman Schmidt,

Parsing Presidential Pardons

by Jennifer LaFleur and Krista Kjellman Schmidt,

The Kind of Journalism That Demands Action

by Paul Steiger and Stephen Engelberg,

How ProPublica Analyzed Pardon Data

by Jennifer LaFleur,

Presidential Pardons Heavily Favor Whites

by Dafna Linzer and Jennifer LaFleur,

The Shadow of Marc Rich

by Dafna Linzer,

How We Analyzed Pardons

by ProPublica,

Acknowledgments

by Dafna Linzer,

Starting Over: When Presidential Forgiveness Changes a Life

by Dafna Linzer,

Contrasting Colors, Contrasting Results

by Dafna Linzer,

Perspectives on Pardons

by ProPublica,

What We’re Watching

During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.

Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.

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Sharon Lerner

I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Andy Kroll

I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.

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Melissa Sanchez

I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.

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Jesse Coburn

I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.

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