Biden Granted Clemency To Multiple Public Officials, Democrat Politicians Convicted Of Corruption

By Katelynn Richardson, Daily Caller News Foundation | December 16, 2024

Biden granted clemency last week to several Democrat politicians and public officials convicted on corruption charges. Among the nearly 1,500 criminals whose sentences Biden commuted last week were at least three Democratic politicians and several other public officials, including a former judge notorious for putting thousands of kids behind bars for kickbacks.

Luzerne County Judge Michael Conahan, one of two judges convicted in 2011 for his role in the “Kids for Cash” scandal, had his sentence commuted by Biden. Conahan and another judge received millions from sending children to private detention facilities where they had a business interest.

Several victims of the scheme spoke out against Biden’s decision.

Amanda Lorah, who was wrongly imprisoned, told Fox 59 it was a “slap in the face.” Sandy Fonzo, whose son committed suicide after being placed in detention, said she was “shocked” and hurt.

“Conahan’s actions destroyed families, including mine, and my son‘s death is a tragic reminder of the consequences of his abuse of power,” Fonzo said in a statement to The Citizen’s Voice. “This pardon feels like an injustice for all of us who still suffer. Right now I am processing and doing the best I can to cope with the pain that this has brought back.”

Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Biden got it “absolutely wrong” and created “a lot of pain” in his state, according to the Penn Capital Star.

“Governors and presidents have unique power to grant pardons and clemency and commute sentences. It is an absolute power, and it is a power that should be used incredibly carefully,” Shapiro said on Friday.

Biden also granted clemency to former Democratic New York State Assemblyman William F. Boyland, Jr., who was sentenced in 2015 to 14 years for bribery, fraud, conspiracy and theft committed by “corruptly exploiting his official position,” according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Former Democratic Florida state senate candidate Anis Blemur was sentenced to 7 years in jail in 2019 after stealing “more than $1.6 million from victims in South Florida’s Haitian community” through a real estate scam, according to the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. Blemur, whose name appears on Biden’s list, used personal information of those he scammed to apply for over two dozen credit cards, according to the Miami New Times.

Former Democratic Cuyahoga County, Ohio Commissioner Jimmy Dimora was convicted for taking bribes for over a decade in the form of “cash, home improvements, lavish meals at high-end restaurants, services from prostitutes, gambling trips to Las Vegas and Canada, and other items,” per the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

Dimora was sentenced in 2012 to 28 years in prison. While Biden commuted Dimora’s sentence, former President Barack Obama previously denied Dimora’s request for clemency.

Former Dixon, Illinois, Comptroller Rita Crundwell was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison in 2013 for stealing $53.7 million from the city. Local officials and residents criticized Biden’s decision to commute her sentence.

“This definitely cuts the scar open. It’s not a scab, it’s a scar. It’s a deep one,” Dixon City Manager Danny Langloss told WTTW on Thursday.

Individuals granted clemency were serving long sentences which would have been lower “if charged under today’s laws, policies, and practices,” Biden said in a Thursday statement.

“These commutation recipients, who were placed in home confinement during the COVID pandemic, have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities and have shown that they deserve a second chance,” Biden wrote.

Katelynn Richardson is an investigative reporter at the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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