Felons (including Randy Cunningham) Seeking Bush Pardon Near a Record

[elehhhhna]

Felons Seeking Bush Pardon Near a Record

By CHARLIE SAVAGE
Published: July 19, 2008
WASHINGTON — Felons are asking President Bush for pardons and commutations at historic levels as he nears his final months in office, a time when many other presidents have granted a flurry of clemency requests.


G. Paul Burnett/The New York Times
Marion Jones, the sprinter, in White Plains upon being sentenced for lying to federal agents about her steroid use.
Among the petitioners is Michael Milken, the billionaire former junk bond king turned philanthropist, who is seeking a pardon for his 1990 conviction for securities fraud, the Justice Department said. Mr. Milken sought a pardon eight years ago from President Bill Clinton, and submitted a new petition in June.

In addition, prominent federal inmates are asking Mr. Bush to commute their sentences. Among them are Randy Cunningham, the former Republican congressman from California; Edwin W. Edwards, a former Democratic governor of Louisiana; John Walker Lindh, the so-called American Taliban; and Marion Jones, the former Olympic sprinter.

The requests are adding to a backlog of nearly 2,300 pending petitions, most from “ordinary people who committed garden-variety crimes,” said Margaret Colgate Love, a clemency lawyer.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/19/us/19pardon.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1216485691-qBuYupmmDEzE78bZ9x//LA

[Ian David]

1. Is there anything stopping Bush from declaring a blanket pardon for EVERY Ameican Citizen? n/t

[NightWatcher]

2. nah, he'll just pardon the rich and guilty

[Thothmes]

3. Yes, he can only pardon those people covicted of a Federal offense.

[rusty_parts2001]

4. he can pardon anyone convicted of any offense, not just federal

[Thothmes]

5. Believe that the Constitution limits him to Federal offenses.

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. We still have a Constitution??

[elehhhhna]

7. Federal only:

United States
See also: List of people pardoned by a United States president
In the United States, the pardon power for Federal crimes is granted to the President by the United States Constitution, Article II, Section 2, which states that the President:

shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.