Can someone explain to me Bill Clinton's FALN pardons?

[dave29]

Someone was talking about that today, and the information I have found has all been from crazy Republican sources. However, it involved Puerto Rico, and I wondered what it was all about.

[FrenchieCat]

1. Wiki....

FALN Commutation of 1999

On August 11, 1999, Clinton commuted the sentences of 16 members of FALN, a violent Puerto Rican nationalist group that set off 120 bombs in the United States mostly in New York City and Chicago, convicted for conspiracies to commit robbery, bomb-making, and sedition, as well as for firearms and explosives violations.<3>

None of the 16 were convicted of bombings or any crime which injured another person, though they were sentenced with terms ranging from 35 to 105 years in prison for the conviction of conspiracy and sedition. Congress, however, recognizes that the FALN is responsible for "6 deaths and the permanent maiming of dozens of others, including law enforcement officials." All of the 16 had served 19 years or longer in prison, which was a longer sentence than such crimes typically received, according to the White House.<4> Clinton offered clemency, on condition that the prisoners renounce violence, at the appeal of 10 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, President Jimmy Carter, the cardinal of New York, and the archbishop of Puerto Rico. The commutation was opposed by U.S. Attorney's Office, the FBI, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons and criticized by many including former victims of FALN terrorist activities, the Fraternal Order of Police,<5> members of Congress.

Hillary Clinton, then campaigning for her first term in the Senate, initially supported the commutation,<6> but later withdrew her support when the prisoners had refused to renounce violence more than three weeks after clemency was offered.

Congress condemned the action, with a vote of 95-2 in the Senate and 311-41 in the House.<8><9> The U.S. House Committee on Government Reform held an investigation on the matter, but the Justice Department prevented FBI officials from testifying.<10>

President Clinton cited executive privilege for his refusal to turn over some documents to Congress related to his decision to offer clemency to members of the FALN terrorist group.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton_pardons_controversy

[dave29]

5. so I would imagine this was a popular move in both New York

and Puerto Rico.

[hisownpetard]

2. A far as I can recall, B. Clinton waited until the last days or hours of his presidency and issued a

pardon to 16 people imprisoned for setting off bombs on behalf of the FALN. They were popular with the people
but had been duly convicted of these crimes in courts of law. There was huge fanfare when they were freed and
returned home.

The scuttle-butt was that Hillary was thinking of running for the Senate of NY, and this would give her great popularity
with the Hispanic population.

Seems to have worked.

[NightWatcher]

3. maybe it was the same reason he pardoned the others

[anonymous171]

4. I experienced the same thing when my conservative teacher made me research Whitewater.

God, I wish freepers would learn to spell, or at least use spellcheck.

[gateley]

6. Here's info from Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton_pardons_controversy

and other links (I was looking into this a while ago)

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/02/08/faln.pardon/