Eighty-five percent of the people granted pardons or clemency this year by President Donald Trump are white, and Jan. 6 defendants made up 90% of those who benefited, according to a new report compiled by Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform.
Five percent are Latino and another 8% are Black, according to the report, which was first shared with NBC News.
Comparing these statistics against the makeup of the general federal prison population, Pressley’s report notes that a quarter of that population is white, 36% Hispanic and 34% Black.
“Donald Trump’s use of clemency and pardons has neglected many of the most marginalized and impacted communities,” her office said in a statement accompanying the report.
“What this report illustrates is that Donald Trump has neglected to use the powerful tool of clemency to benefit those who need it the most,” Pressley said in an interview.
{snip}
The report, titled “Trump’s Clemency Gap,” outlines the president’s other uses of his pardon power, with a particular emphasis on “who has benefited and who has been left behind.”
The 19-page document was based on all publicly reported federal clemency actions taken from Jan. 20 through Dec. 5, as detailed in White House announcements, Justice Department records, the U.S. Sentencing Commission, academic research institutions and news reports.
Trump has aggressively used his pardon power during his second term in the White House, most notably granting blanket clemency to roughly 1,500 criminal defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The Jan. 6 defendants collectively make up 90% of the more than 1,700 people granted pardons or clemency since Jan. 20, according to Pressley’s report.
Pressley’s office found that just nine clemency actions benefited people convicted of drug offenses, out of a total of more than 60,000 people in prison for such crimes.
{snip}
The post 85% of People Given Federal Pardons or Clemency This Year Are White, House Lawmaker’s Report Says appeared first on American Renaissance.
American RenaissanceRead More
T1
