Presidential Pardon power seems like something ripe for abuse. I understand that Washington (freed people from Whiskey Rebellion) and Jefferson (freed people convicted under the Alien and Sedition Acts) used the power for good, but then there’s seemingly obvious abuses in recent times. Like Ford pardoning Nixon, Reagan pardoning people involved in Iran-Contra, and Clinton pardoning his half-brother.
What’s the reason why the Founding Fathers had granted the president the power to pardon?
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