Presidential Pardon
At noon EST on January 20th, an 18-month long continuous effort for a Presidential Pardon from President Obama concluded. I did not succeed in getting a pardon.
- THANK YOU for going far above and beyond and for going out of your way; I know none of you had to do any of this. I am incredibly moved by all these efforts.
- Despite our best efforts, in the end I came up short. We did not get the pardon. I am very sorry for that.
We tried hard; I know I tried my absolute and very best over the last year and a half. We put together a strong and compelling case for justice. 13 congressmen and a senator wrote individual letters to the White House in support of my pardon application; 6 congressmen and a senator wrote a follow-up group letter to the White House. My attorneys Tai Park and Eyal Dror worked on this case pro-bono, tirelessly over the last 18 months. Over two dozen individuals wrote character affidavits on my behalf to supplement our pardon submission. Numerous individuals and organizations championed my cause. Strangers I had never met reached out to me after hearing my story on The Moth or elsewhere to offer support and ask how they could help.
I have been restless especially this last week. When this nightmare began I was 33. I am now 40 and cannot believe I am still fighting to overcome this ordeal; and that I am nowhere close to where I was in life before this; life with felonies can be an exercise in frustration.
As I watched the inauguration processions early morning, as I saw President Obama leave the Oval office for the last time, I felt defeated. I could not help the voice inside me that kept asking: ‘Mr. President, where are the pardons? Where is my pardon?’
Theodore Roosevelt (President from 1902 – 1909) pardoned 668 people. Dwight Eisenhower (President 1953 – 1961) pardoned 1,110. John F. Kennedy and Gerald Ford both were President for the less than three years; yet despite this short tenure Kennedy pardoned 472, and Ford 382. Jimmy Carter pardoned 534 over a four-year presidency. Pardon numbers by other two-term presidents: Lyndon Johnson – 960; Richard Nixon – 863; Ronald Reagan – 393; Bill Clinton – 396; George W. Bush – 189; Barack Obama – 212.
After pardoning only 70 individuals during his first seven 7 years of office, President Obama publicly committed in press conferences that he would catch up to his predecessors. This gave me hope and like many others, I believed I had a chance. The President did issue more pardons, 142 in his last year. But not nearly as many as we all hoped. And at least one short of what we wanted. One recent NY Times article captures the surprisingly low number of pardons and the potential drivers.
Earlier, one senior congressional staffer wrote me:
“I want to extend my sympathies. However, I personally feel—myself, not necessarily on behalf of the Congresswoman—that you have much to be proud of. I have never seen or heard of as much support among a diverse group of Members of Congress for a single individual’s case. I can tell that your legwork and diligence is due all credit for that. So instead of sympathies, I should offer congratulations. Hard work in pursuit of justice is never wasted time. Thank you for coming here and shining light on your case. This was a bright spot in the midst of a lot of cynicism for many of us on the Hill.”
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