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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump was convicted of 34 criminal counts a year ago. Can he pardon himself?
In the days leading up to the anniversary of his own criminal conviction, President Donald Trump issued a flurry of clemency acts. On May 30, 2024, a New York jury found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, the first time a former president had ever been convicted of a crime. Prosecutors argued Trump disguised reimbursements for a $130,000 hush money payment for porn star Stormy Daniels as legal expenses ahead of the 2016 election. In January, Judge Juan Merchan issued an "unconditional discharge' sentence for Trump's conviction, meaning he received no prison time or probation. The other cases in which he was also indicted are not moving forward while he is in office. But back in the White House, Trump has used the presidential power of clemency to ease consequences for people convicted of tax evasion, murder and bribery, to name a few. But can Trump use his clemency power on himself? Trump pardons: Todd and Julie Chrisley, health care tax cheat, Jan. 6 rioters A president issuing a self-pardon would be unprecedented, so its legality is unclear. If he did try it, it would not apply to the hush money case. 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. More: Trump's latest wave of pardons includes rapper, GOP governor convicted of corruption Trump was convicted in a New York state case. The federal cases he was charged in, led by special counsel Jack Smith, were dismissed after Trump was elected to serve a second term. It is a longstanding policy at the Justice Department to prosecute a sitting president. In addition to those convicted in the Jan. 6 riots, Trump has granted clemency, including pardons and sentence commutations, to more than 45 people as of May 29. In his first term, he granted 238 clemency acts, according to Pew Research Center, which also found former President Joe Biden had granted more clemency acts than any other president on record with 4,245 acts. Some recent Trump pardons and sentence commutations that made headlines include: Paul Walczak, the son of a wealthy Republican donor who was convicted of tax evasion for siphoning more than $10.9 million in payroll taxes from the paychecks of doctors and nurses. He had been sentenced to 18 months in prison. Michele Fiore, a former Las Vegas City Councilwoman who was convicted of federal charity fraud after misusing donations for a planned police memorial. She had not been sentenced when she was pardoned. Scott Jenkins, a former Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery in what prosecutors called a "cash-for-badges scheme.' He was set to start a 10-year prison sentence on May 27, 2025. Todd and Julie Chrisley, reality TV stars convicted of conspiring to defraud community banks, defraud the IRS and commit tax evasion in 2022. Todd Chrisley had been sentenced to 12 years in prison and Julie had been sentenced to seven years in prison. Larry Hoover, a Chicago gang leader serving multiple life sentences for charges including murder, extortion and money laundering, had his federal sentence commuted. Hoover attracted celebrity attention in calls to be freed, including from rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. Hoover will remain behind bars to continue serving for state charges. Contributing: Jeffrey Meehan, Reno Gazette Journal; Hannah Phillips, Palm Beach Post; Bart Jansen, KiMi Robinson, Jay Stahl, Aysha Bagchi, Kathryn Palmer, USA TODAY; C.A. Bridges, USA TODAY Network Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@ Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Can Trump pardon himself? What to know on conviction anniversary
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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@ Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @ This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Derek Chauvin pardon? Tim Walz addresses Trump administration rumors
