washington — President Biden announced Friday that he will commute the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug crimes, using his final days in office to take a series of clemency actions aimed at eliminating sentences he believes are too harsh.
The latest round of clemency gives Biden a presidential record for the most personal pardons and commutations. The Democrat said he was seeking to vacate "sentences that are disproportionately long compared to what they would receive today under current law, policy and practice."
"Today's clemency action provides relief to individuals serving lengthy prison sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine and outdated drug offense sentencing enhancements," Biden said in a statement. " "This action is an important step toward righting historical wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities, and giving deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their families and communities after spending too much time in prison."
The White House did not immediately release the names of those whose sentences were commuted.
However, Biden said more was likely to come and pledged to use the time before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Monday to "continue to review additional commutations and pardons."
Friday's actions follow those of Mr Biden commutation last month Approximately 1,500 people were sentenced and placed under home confinement coronavirus pandemicand pardoned 39 Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes. It was the largest single-day pardon in modern history.
All of this comes as Biden continues to weigh whether to grant blanket pardons to officials and allies the White House fears may be unfairly targeted by the Trump administration. While the president’s power to pardon is absolute, such a preemptive move would be a novel and risky use of the president’s extraordinary constitutional power.
Last month, he had his sentence commuted 37 of 40 people on federal death rowThey changed their punishment to life in prison just weeks before Trump, an outspoken supporter of expanding the death penalty, took office. Trump has vowed to revoke the order when his term begins.
Mr. Biden also recently pardoned his son hunternot just because of his convictions for federal gun and tax violations, but also for any potential federal crimes he committed over an 11-year period, as the president worries Trump allies will seek to prosecute his son for other crimes.
At the same time, if history is any guide, Biden may also issue more targeted pardons to help allies before leaving the White House, as presidents typically do in some final act.
Just before midnight on the final night of his first term, Trump, a Republican, signed a series of pardons and commutations for more than 140 people, including his former chief strategist Steve Bannon , rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black, as well as former members of Congress.
One of Trump's final acts as president during his first term was to announce the pardon of Al Pirro, the ex-husband of Fox News Channel host Jeanine Pirro, one of Trump's most staunch one of its defenders. In 2000, Al Pirro was convicted of conspiracy and tax evasion and sentenced to more than two years in prison.