x
Breaking News
More () »

Controversial history of presidential pardons | Connect the Dots

President Donald Trump's pardoning choices may be unagreeable to many but presidential pardons are most often laced with controversy.

Presidential pardons are as old as the office itself, but the power to pardon has always come with controversy. 

Let’s connect the dots.

Hamilton proposed. Mason refused.

The idea of presidential pardons comes from the 1787 Constitutional Convention. That’s when Alexander Hamilton suggested giving the president the power to pardon people who have committed crimes. 

It mirrors a similar power given to the British Monarchy. Founding father George Mason was so concerned the president could use the power to pardon treasonous co-conspirators, he refused to sign the constitution.

Washington pardoned Whiskey Rebellion leaders

It turns out the first presidential pardons were given to men who committed treason but not as co-conspirators with the president. 

George Washington granted pardons to two men behind the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion. That rebellion was a response to a federal tax placed on alcohol.

Washington pardoned the insurgents in the final days of his second term, sighting the need to temper justice with mercy.

Most controversial pardon in U.S. history

The most controversial pardon actually involves two presidents. 

In 1974,  month after President Richard Nixon was forced to resign in the wake of the Watergate scandal, his successor Gerald Ford issued him an unconditional pardon for any crimes Nixon may have committed. 

Ford cited the nation’s need to move on from the scandal, but the move is blamed for ending Ford’s political career.

Before You Leave, Check This Out