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White people make up 85 percent of those pardoned or granted clemency this year by President Donald Trump.
According to a new report obtained by NBC News and compiled by Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., a fierce advocate for criminal justice reform, January 6th defendants also made up 90 percent of those who benefited from presidential pardons and clemency.
Five percent of the pardon population was Latino, and another 8 percent was Black, according to the report.
In her report, Pressley highlighted the disparity, noting that white people make up just a quarter of the general federal prison population, while Hispanics represent 36 percent and Black people make up 34 percent.
“Donald Trump’s use of clemency and pardons has neglected many of the most marginalized and impacted communities,” Pressley’s office said in a statement.
Pressley’s report, titled “Trump’s Clemency Gap,” details the president’s pardon use, emphasizing “who has benefited and who has been left behind.” The document cites all publicly reported federal clemency actions taken from January 20 through December 5.
The report comes as Trump has aggressively used his pardon power during his second White House term. Earlier this year, Trump granted blanket clemency to roughly 1,500 criminal defendants charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Pressley’s report determined that just nine clemency actions benefited people convicted of drug offenses, out of the over 60,000 people in prison for such crimes. According to the report, roughly $1.4 billion in restitution and fines were lost as a result of Trump’s clemency grants.
“Trump has used his clemency authority to absolve $1.4 billion, allowing people to profit from their crimes and costing the federal government money that could have been put toward public goods, restorative justice programs, and more,” the report states.
Pressley’s office didn’t compile a report on former President Joe Biden’s pardon use. Biden recorded the largest single-day act of clemency a few days before leaving office, commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses. He also pardoned his son, Hunter Biden.
Pressley’s office maintained that the Democratic lawmaker has been “a steadfast champion of clemency reform” under multiple administrations.
In a separate letter to Alice Johnson, the Trump administration’s “pardon czar,” Pressley urged her to “prioritize clemency for those who have been disproportionately harmed by systemic injustices.”
“Pardons and commutations have the power to transform people’s lives. It should not be limited to wealthy people and political allies,” Pressley wrote.
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