Bush Pardons 8, Running Far Behind Clinton
President Bush pardoned eight people, including a man convicted of bootlegging 45 years ago, the Justice Department announced Friday.
The first round of clemency orders in Bush’s second term brings his total since taking office to 39 pardons and sentence commutations.
President Clinton granted clemency to 456 people during his eight years in office, including 176 on his last day.
Most presidents since the beginning of the 20th century have granted hundreds, if not thousands, of pardons and sentence commutations, led by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 3,687 over four terms.
Only two presidents never used their constitutional authority to grant clemency: 19th century chief executives James Garfield and William H. Harrison. Both died before serving a year in office.
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