Having watched multiple presidential debates, conducted by different news organizations, that have included candidates of both parties for the past few weeks, one question that they have not been asked is one in which the next president actually has the power to deliver on. While we are not governed by a king or dictator, there is one Executive power available to every US president. The power to grant Pardons to convicted criminals. The Constitution gives presidents the “power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.”
Question: “If you are elected president, and President George W. Bush fails to grant pardons to border patrol agents Campion and Ramos, would you commit to granting both of them a pardon on your first day in office?”
This action does not require approval from any other Branch of our government. The immigration issue is surely one of the top five issues in the 2008 election. It is rather troubling when reviewing pardons as to why this topic is like the “third rail” on a New York subway.
I did find an article which confirms that President George W. Bush has already granted Pardons to 113 individuals. Following is a listing of four drug offenders Pardoned on his watch.
Adam Wade Graham, Salt Lake City, Utah
Offense: Conspiracy to deliver 10 or more grams of LSD; 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A)(v), and 846.
Sentence: Nov. 23, 1992; District of Wyoming; 30 months imprisonment, later reduced to 11 months and 21 days of imprisonment, and five years supervised release conditioned upon performance of 250 hours community service.
Larry Paul Lenius, Moorhead, Minn.
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine; 21 U.S.C. 846.
Sentence: Sept. 29, 1989, District of North Dakota; 36 months probation conditioned upon three months service in community confinement and payment of $2,500 in restitution.
Larry Lee Lopez, Bokeelia, Fla. Offense: Conspiracy to import marijuana; 21 U.S.C. 952 and 953.
Sentence: July 19, 1985; Middle District of Florida; three years probation.
Mark Lewis Weber, Sherwood, Ark. Offense: Selling Quaalude tablets (one specification), selling, using, and possessing marijuana (three specifications), U.C.M.J., Articles 92 and 134.
Sentence: Aug. 20, 1981; United States Air Force general court-martial convened at Little Rock Air Force Base, Little Rock, Arkansas; 30 months confinement at hard labor, forfeiture of $334 pay per month for 30 months, reduction to the rank of airman basic, and a dishonorable discharge.
“By comparison, his father, former President George H.W. Bush, granted 74 in four years; former President Bill Clinton granted 396 in eight years; former President Ronald Reagan did 393 in eight; former President Jimmy Carter did 534 in four. And former President Richard Nixon, who got one of Mr. Ford’s 382 pardons, granted 863, reports Mark Knoller CBS News.”
Following is a partial list of Pardons granted by recent presidents. I will skip the pardon of a ceremonial turkey on Thanksgiving as this is a serious question for everyone in this country. I have selected those who were convicted of much more serious offenses for illustration purposes only and deleted most of the “white collar” criminals.
Pardon Granted by President Clinton January 2001 (Partial list)
Name Home Town Offenses
ALTIERE, Nicholas M. Las Vegas, Nevada Importation of cocaine
BAGLEY, Chris Harmon Harrah, Oklahoma Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine
BANE, Scott Lynn Mahomet, Illinois Unlawful distribution of marijuana
BLAMPIED, David Roscoe Ketchum, Idaho Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
BORDERS, William Arthur, Jr. Washington, D.C. Conspiracy to corruptly solicit and accept money in return for influencing the official acts of a federal district court judge (Alcee L. Hastings), and to defraud the United States in connection with the performance of lawful government functions; corruptly influencing, obstructing, impeding and endeavoring to influence, obstruct and impede the due administration of justice, and aiding and abetting therein; traveling interstate with intent to commit bribery
CHAMBERS, Donna Denise Memphis, Tennessee Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, use of a telephone to facilitate cocaine conspiracy
CHAVEZ, Francisco Larios Santa Ana, California Aiding and abetting illegal entry of aliens
CUNNINGHAM, Rickey Lee Amarillo, Texas Possession with intent to distribute marijuana
FERNANDEZ, Marcos Arcenio Miami, Florida Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana
HAMNER, Robert Ivey Searcy, Arkansas Conspiracy to distribute marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute
HARMON, Jay Houston Jonesboro, Arkansas 1. Conspiracy to import marijuana, conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute, importation of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute 2. Conspiracy to import cocaine
HUCKLEBERRY, Debi Rae Ogden, Utah Distribution of methamphetamine
LOPEZ, Hildebrando San Isidro, Texas Distribution of cocaine
MANESS, James Timothy Conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance
McDOUGAL, Susan H.
MORGAN, Charles Wilfred, III Little Rock, Arkansas Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
NOSENKO, Charlene Ann Phoenix, Arizona Conspiracy to defraud the United States, and influencing or injuring an officer or juror generally
OBERMEIER, Vernon Raymond Belleville, Illinois Conspiracy to distribute cocaine, distribution of cocaine, and using a communications facility to facilitate distribution of cocaine
OGALDE, Miguelina Glendale, California Conspiracy to import cocaine
RICH, Marc Switzerland
RILEY, Richard Wilson, Jr. Possession of cocaine with intent to distribute
ROGERS, Michael James McAllen, Texas Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana
ROSS, Anna Louise Lubbock, Texas Distribution of cocaine
RUTHERFORD, Bettye June Albuquerque, New Mexico Possession of marijuana with intent to distribute
SANDS, Gregory Lee Sioux Falls, South Dakota Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
SCHWIMMER, Adolph Conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, conspiracy to export arms and ammunition to a foreign country and related charges
SERETTI, Albert A., Jr. McKees Rocks, Pennyslvania Conspiracy and wire fraud
SHAW, Patricia Campbell Hearst Wilton, Connecticut Armed bank robbery and using a firearm during a felony
SMITH, Gerald Owen Florence, Mississippi Armed bank robbery
STEWART-ROLLINS, Marlena Francisca Euclid, Ohio Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
SYMINGTON, John Fife, III
VAMVOUKLIS, Ignatious Exeter, New Hampshire Possession of cocaine
WILLIAMS, Jack L. Making false statements to federal agents
WILLIAMS, Kevin Arthur Omaha, Nebraska Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine
WOOD, Mitchell Couey Sherwood, Arkansas Conspiracy to possess and to distribute cocaine
An example of George Bush 41 pardons includes:
On December 24, 1992, President Bush pardoned former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, former assistant secretary for inter-American affairs Elliott Abrams, former national security adviser Robert McFarlane, and former CIA employees Duane Clarridge, Alan Fiers, and Clair George “for their conduct related to the Iran-Contra affair.”
George Bush 41 1993 Aslam P. Adam Heroin trafficking
Should border patrol agents Campion and Ramos receive Pardon’s as a Christmas present from our “compassionate conservative” president (whom I voted for.)???
Perhaps there are readers who feel that they do not deserve a Pardon under any circumstances. If so, I would like to hear from you.
Email response:
Great article. Should our two most famous border patrol officers be pardoned by “W”? Absolutely…but don’t count on it. As is usually the case in baffling stories such as theirs, there is usually a highly-inflammatory “back story” that the public must not find out about. That is not to cast aspersions on the border patrol agents, but to remind people of the proven nefarious actions of “W.”
LG Additional post comment.
Sorry for the above duplication.
What I did not include in my post relates to our president’s turning a deaf ear to the plea of many Americans on this issue. You must wonder what back room agreements have been made to block said Pardons, be it with the government of Mexico or someone in the current or (his) former administration.
While we continue the “war against drugs” I see that he has already Pardoned those convicted of said crimes. What does that say to you?
Email response:
Hi Larry
Campion and Ramos should never have been tried as criminals in the first place. They should have been pardoned after they were convicted by an overzealous politically biased incompetent Attorney General and his puppet Jonny Sutton. This was a great example of injustice and definitely sent the signal to the border patrol to stop arresting any foreign smugglers across our borders (especially Hispanics). Our present president, administration, justice department and the majority of our congress are gutless to uphold the laws of our land and are paralyzed to correct these injustices. They have all been bought out by our corporations that want cheap labor in this country as well as much more that does not help the citizens and legal aliens residing in the USA.
Were any others that were pardoned by any other president also guilty of being tried for their crime(s) after their testimony jailed the very law officers that attempted to arrest them? Further if so, was/were their crime(s) evidence sealed and not allowed to be available to the juries that convicted the law officers? If you were to find such evidence I would be very surprised.
Email response:
Am in total agreement re your well researched blog piece re (1) the prosecution of Ramos & Campion, (2) their conviction, and (3) Bush’s unfortunate & difficult to understand refusal to pardon both. It’s an outrageous judicial travesty. They deserve more than a pardon. With the recent arrest of the Mexican drug smuggler who was given immunity in the case, their conviction should be overturned by Executive Order, and an apology and financial compensation given for their confinement, their emotional distress, and that of their families.
Dr H. Garber