President Biden announced on Thursday that he had granted pardon to nearly 1,500 criminals, the largest single-day act of clemency in US history.
“I am pardoning 39 people who have shown successful rehabilitation,” Biden said in a statement, adding that he was also “commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 people who are serving long prison sentences.”
“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said. “As President, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation.”
Biden this month faced criticism for issuing an official pardon for his son Hunter, who was facing sentencing for two criminal cases, despite earlier assurances that he would not intervene in his son’s legal troubles.