There’s already [thread=427249]a GD thread[/thread] on the Libby matter and I’m sure a pit thread as well. I’m not looking for a debate, only some answers. Of course, Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon, which isn’t quite the same thing. And presidents have pardoned and commuted the sentences of many people, often for political reasons. But has it happened before that a president has commuted the sentence of someone whose crime was committed during that president’s term, as in the Libby case?
Dan Rostenkowski (D-IL) pled guilty to mail fraud in 1996 (he was indicted in 1994). Clinton pardoned him in 2001. He served 15 months of a 17 month sentence before he was pardoned.
That was just off the top of my head. There must be many others.
Hmmm. Not sure if the crime itself happened while Clinton was prez, though.
OK, here’s a good one that is actually somewhat comparable. Henry Cisneros:
Someone from his administration, guilty of lying to the FBI, although the plea was for a misdemeanor offense.
Yes, many, many times–beginning with George Washington, who pardoned rebels who participated in the Whiskey Rebellion during his administration.
Ah, the good ol’ days, when there were things like a Whiskey Rebellion!
See congressman Mel Reynolds. Convicted in '95, started serving, further convicted of 15 more counts a year before the release date of the first conviction, sentence commuted '01.
And this is NOT a “Clinton did it, too” post, just that you don’t need to look very far back (1) to find a president who has pardoned people convicted during their presidency.
A very appropriate comparison is former CIA Director John Deutch.
After leaving his post, it was discovered that he was grossly negligent in safeguarding classified material, even keeping it on his unclassified laptop. An investigation never got very far, and he was pardoned by Bill Clinton on his last day in office.
Libby had his sentence commuted but was not pardoned, of course (so far).
Is this your question: Has there been a case where a President commuted a sentence before any time was served?
Ummm, yes, Clinton administration was full of this kind of thing. AND full of federal attorney firings as well, much moreso than Bush. Good christ peeps.
Some cites would not be out of place here.
Sigh. Come on. Read, think for yourself. I’m not talking about obscure stuff here, good christ, wiki is your easily accessed friend.
Well, as far as I can tell, the FALN pardoned had already served at least 19 years in prison. The commutations cited were all on Clinton’s last day in office. (Which, frankly, I fully expected Bush to pardon Libby on the former’s last day in office - such is life.) I see no commutations in that link for a member of Clinton’s administration for a crime committed while working for Clinton as President.
Also, oddly enough, I see no reference there for a mid-term defenstration of Attorneys General. Go figure.
Go figure what? You, an appointed SDMB Moderator, I am to take by the hand and wiki or google a history of the Clinton firings of Attorneys Generals? That I call odd. Are you being disingenuous or merely facetious? Meh, nothing personal mate, don’t give me another “personal insult” warning for responding in like candor, here’s the first I came up with, the rest you can do for yourself if you are sincerely ignorant of same.
You are being disingenuous. All of Clinton’s US Attorney firings came at the beginning of his first term, when every President does it. To compare the Bush firings is a deliberate attempt to mislead.
Did you even read my link?
Yes I did. I did not draw the same conclusion. Like here:
71, 80, what’s the difference? They were all at the beginning of the first term. I don’t see your point.
Which is precisely my point.
Bush Senior pardoned former Secretary of Defense, Casper Weinburger, the C.I.A.’s Duane Claridge and others in 1992 for thier Iran Contra Roles [mostly they were indicted on several felony counts of lying to the Iran-Contra independent counsel during its investigation]
Bush was not President when the TOWs went to Iran but he was VP - and some of the lying took place while he was President.
Then enlighten me.
Hello, HeLLO, HELLO! Goddamn.