President Donald Trump has issued pardons to no fewer than 15 former government officials and their accomplices who were convicted on corruption charges during the past year, according to recent reports.
The wave of presidential clemency has raised concerns among legal experts who warn that such actions could weaken ongoing efforts to prosecute public corruption cases across the country.
Among those who received pardons was former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, whose clemency was announced after Trump signed a series of executive orders in the Oval Office this past February.
The pardons have sparked debate about the impact of presidential clemency on the justice system’s ability to hold corrupt public officials accountable for their actions.
