Before Leaving The White House, Trump Was Expected To Grant Multiple Pardons

JAKARTA - Last Wednesday, President of the United States (US) Donald Trump pardoned his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. Reportedly, many lobbyists are hoping to make a similar move before the 45th US president leaves the White House on January 20. Who are they?

"This is one of the most unfettered presidential forces the president likes," said a former government official quoted by Reuters.

Trump may enjoy those privileges, but he's actually quite frugal in using them. He only pardoned 44 times during his nearly four years in office.

In comparison, President Barack Obama did much more to pardon or lighten the sentences of offenders. In his eight years in office, Obama has exercised this privilege nearly 2,000 times, according to the Pew Research Center.

While Trump has not publicly shown his steps towards leaving the White House at this time, some experts predict Trump will grant far more clemency.

As summarized by the BBC, there are several types of clemency that can be granted by the president. The first is a pardon that can remove penalties for federal crimes. This right represents pardon, ending further sentences and restoring rights such as being able to vote in elections and run for public office.

Second, legal relief. Both are clemency rights granted by the US Constitution to the president.

Meanwhile, two less common forms are the provision of remissions which can ease the penalty penalty and respites of the sentence used to suspend a temporary sentence, usually given to sick prisoners.

A president can offer clemency even if a person has not been charged or convicted of a federal crime. It is common for presidents leaving the White House to issue pardons before they leave the White House. Then who else will get clemency from Tump after Flynn?

US media reported that among those hoping for clemency were former Trump advisers Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos. They were convicted and sentenced to prison in high-profile cases related to the Russian investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

"The president knows how much we who work for him have suffered, and I hope he will consider it if and when he gives pardon," Gates was quoted as saying by The New York Times. Meanwhile, Papadopoulos last month said that "of course I would be honored to be forgiven".

Apart from that, some of the names discussed by the media were Paul Manafort. He was the man who was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on charges of conspiracy and fraud.

However, granting clemency did not only touch Trump's allies and confidants. There is news that a group pushing for criminal justice reform is in talks with Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and adviser. They talked about possible sentence changes for hundreds of inmates whose crimes ranged from drug trafficking to money laundering.