Notes on the Dec. 22 clemency grants (a thread). There were 20 total grants- 15 pardons and 5 commutations. The majority of these (12) went to those convicted of fraud/misuse of funds (6) & abuse of power by military contractors/law enforcement (6). @RachelBarkow @davidminpdx

Two more were convicted of corruption and false statements. Needless to say, that group of 14 does not reflect the federal prison population, or the groups most often over-sentenced.

20% of the grants went to Republican legislators-- Three former members of Congress and a current Utah legislator. Add them to the other public officials (Joe Arpiao, Scooter Libby, Bernie Kerik, Michael Flynn) who already received grants and they make up well > 10% of grants.

Four of the grants were to people who already received commutations from Trump. Weldon Angelos got a pardon, and Munoz, Hall, and Negron had supervised release commuted (it has been wrongly reported they were pardoned). I am happy for Weldon; I helped him with his petition.

Six of the grants went to people who abused power as soldiers, military contractors or law enforcement. Add to them previous grants to Arpaio, Saucier, Behenna, Golsteyn, and Lorance, and 11 of Trump's 64 grants (17%) have been to this group.

Two of the grants not in the grants described above seem to be favors to Trump confidantes: Costa to Ben Carson and Gordon to Tim Scott.

So... aside from those convicted of fraud/misuse of funds, corruption and false statements, abuse of force, second grants, and personal favors we have just one grant remaining: Alfred Lee Crum, an 89-year-old convicted of moonshining 70 years ago.

Who is missing? The 13,750 people with pending petitions who followed the rules and submitted via the pardon attorney. Those serving long drug sentences that cannot be justified. One of those men called me, near death from COVID. What do I tell him we have become?