Bush Issues Pardons, but to a Relative Few

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: December 22, 2006 WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (AP) — President Bush issued 16 pardons on Thursday and commuted the sentence of an Iowa man who had been convicted on drug charges.

Five of the pardons were in cases that involved drug crimes. Other cases involved bank fraud, mail fraud, the acceptance of a kickback, a false statement on a loan application and conspiracy to defraud the government over taxes.

Seven of the 16 received no prison or jail time when they were sentenced, instead getting probation or a reduction in their military pension.

The longest sentence was nine years, for aiding cocaine distribution, followed by a six-year term for conspiracy to possess marijuana.

A White House spokesman, Tony Fratto, said Mr. Bush had issued 113 pardons and commuted three sentences in his nearly six years in office.

A pardon amounts to federal forgiveness for one’s crime, while a commutation cuts short an existing prison term.

Mr. Bush has issued the fewest pardons of any president since World War II.

President Bill Clinton issued 457 in eight years in office. Mr. Bush’s father issued 77 in four years. President Ronald Reagan issued 406 in eight years, and President Jimmy Carter issued 563 in four years.

The most pardon and commutations, 2,031, were issued by President Harry S. Truman, who served 82 days short of eight year

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/22/washington/22pardon.html

Bush Pardons Small-Time Meth Dealer: http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2744531&page=1

Bush pardons moonshining 'Deliverance' actor: http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/08/18/bush.pardon/ index.html

A list of previous pardons:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ List_of_people_pardoned_by_George_W._Bush