Can Trump pardon Derek Chauvin? Gov. Tim Walz reportedly said Minneapolis should prepare
Minnesota officials are addressing "rumors" that Derek Chauvin, the former police officer convicted of killing George Floyd in 2020, could receive a presidential pardon.
Some conservative activists have advocated for President Donald Trump to pardon Chauvin, though the White House has previously said they were not considering it. Elon Musk has indicated he would support freeing Chauvin, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said she supports a pardon in a May 14 X post where she shared a KSTP story that state agencies had been briefed on the possibility.
The Trump administration has not publicly indicated that it is considering a pardon for Chauvin, who would still face prison time in Minnesota for his state conviction even if his federal charges are pardoned.
Still, Gov. Tim Walz says the state should be prepared. Here is what we know:
More: Trump has been convicted of a crime. Can he pardon himself as president?
The White House declined to comment on the potential clemency request for this story. The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a question about whether Chauvin has applied for clemency.
However, as of March 19, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said a pardon is not something Trump was considering at the time.
Walz also said he has not received an indication about a potential pardon, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. However, he also said the state is considering the possibility.
'If Donald Trump exercises his constitutional right to do so, whether I agree — and I strongly disagree with him — if he issues that pardon we will simply transfer Derek Chauvin to serve out his 22-and-a-half years in prison in Minnesota," Walz told reporters, according to the Tribune. 'So, no indication whether they're going to do it or not, but I think it behooves us to be prepared for it. With this presidency, it seems like that might be something they would do.'
The Minneapolis Community Safety Commissioner Toddrick Barnette said in a statement that it heard the "rumors" of a pardon, but ultimately Chauvin would remain in custody for his state conviction.
"To be clear, we have no credible intelligence about any pardon or planned disruptions here in Minneapolis. Since 2020, we've overhauled our emergency management plans and out of an abundance of caution are planning for any eventuality," the emailed statement read.
No.
Presidential pardons only apply to federal cases, not state cases. The Constitution states the president "shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment." That text limits the pardoning power by excluding state criminal offenses and civil claims, according to the Constitution Annotated.
Chauvin was convicted on both state and federal charges.
Chauvin has been convicted on state and federal charges after he knelt on George Floyd's neck in Minneapolis in May 2020. Floyd's death was one of several that fomented a global movement protesting police violence against Black communities.
The former police officer, who is White, was first convicted on state murder charges and sentenced to 22.5 years in prison.
He later pleaded guilty to violating Floyd's constitutional rights in federal court and was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison.
Currently, Chauvin is serving his federal sentence. In 2023, he was injured in a stabbing.
A pardon is an expression of forgiveness that eases the consequences of a criminal conviction, according to the DOJ.
A pardon and a commutation of a sentence are both ways for the president to grant leniency to someone who has committed a federal crime. Both are known as clemency.
A pardon often implies that the convicted person has taken responsibility for their actions and is forgiven by the president. It can restore some civil abilities that would otherwise be barred due to the criminal conviction, according to the DOJ.
Contributing: Claire Thornton, Phillip M. Bailey, Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Derek Chauvin pardon? Tim Walz addresses Trump administration rumors
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