Hunter Biden’s pardon is controversial given its exceedingly broad terms and his relation to the president. However, it’s far from the only instance that’s led to public ire. We’ve gathered some of the most famous cases in which a presidential pardon has made waves below.
Past controversial presidential pardons
While there have been numerous controversial presidential pardons, the handful here are some of the most widely cited:
Andrew Johnson: All former Confederates (1868)
After the Civil War, the nation was torn about what to do about former Confederates. Many wanted the leaders and members of the Confederate government to be punished, while others thought this attitude would continue to split the nation. Initially, a general amnesty was granted to many of the Confederacy’s rank-and-file soldiers, while others were allowed to apply for a special pardon in exchange for an oath to the Union.
In 1868, President Andrew Johnson declared that anyone who was a part of or aided the Confederacy during the Civil War would have all rights, privileges, and immunities under the Constitution and laws restored. This likely remains to be the largest blanket pardon issued by a president. Concrete numbers for how many were affected aren’t available, but the Confederate armed forces had around 750,000 to 1,000,000 personnel, all of whom were affected. Additionally, the entire Confederate government, including its President, Jefferson Davis, was pardoned by this declaration.
Gerald Ford: Richard Nixon (1974)
Gerald Ford’s pardon of Richard Nixon is the only presidential pardon we could find other than Hunter Biden’s that specifically covers any crimes committed over a period of time instead of specific infractions. In this case, Nixon was granted an unconditional pardon for any crimes committed against the United States during his time as president (between January 20, 1969, and August 9, 1974). Many saw it as a miscarriage of justice that Nixon wouldn’t see any punishment for Watergate and that he had conspired with Ford to obtain a pardon.
The Nixon pardon was the defining moment of Ford’s presidency. Just a month after his assumption of office, his popularity was instantly torpedoed. It’s credited as the primary reason that Ford lost the 1976 election to Jimmy Carter (who would go on to have a pardon controversy of his own).
Jimmy Carter: Vietnam draft dodgers (1977)
Around 2.2 million men were drafted during the Vietnam War under the Military Selective Service Act and made up around 25% of U.S. military personnel during the war. The draft was extremely unpopular, and around 210,000 men would be classified as draft violators for either evading or resisting conscription. As such, they were at risk for criminal prosecution, and around 9,000 people would go on to be convicted. Some went into hiding to avoid criminal charges and left the country altogether.
In 1977, President Jimmy Carter issued Proclamation 4483, which pardoned all draft evaders (but not those who deserted while on active duty). It was an unpopular move among multiple groups. Many Vietnam War veterans felt it was a slight to those who followed the law and did their duty. At the same time, anti-war activists thought it didn’t do enough and should have covered deserters as well.
Bill Clinton: Roger Clinton (2001)
Just before leaving office in 2001, Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother Roger Clinton Jr. for a 1985 cocaine possession and drug-trafficking conviction. Roger Clinton was already a controversial figure and had previously advocated for mobster Rosario Gambino to receive a pardon from the president in exchange for a Rolex and $50,000. He would go on to receive a DUI in 2001 and 2016.
Donald Trump: Charles Kushner (2020)
In 2005, Charles Kushner, the father of Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, pled guilty to 18 counts of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering and was sentenced to two years in prison. In December 2020, President Trump issued a full and unconditional pardon to Kushner, which, while controversial, would be largely forgotten due to the events of January 6, 2021.
