Episode 55

The Power of the Presidential Pardon: Traditions and Turning Points

Recent presidential pardons by both sides of the political aisle are unprecedented in their purposes, which were wielded both to reward and protect. That’s according to Rachel Barkow, Charles Seligson Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Zimroth Center on the Administration of Criminal Law at New York University School of Law. A prolific author who is recognized as one of the country’s leading experts on criminal law and policy, Rachel joins host Matt Adams for a timely discussion exploring the historical use of presidential pardons, the standard vetting process for requests and how the pardons issued in January by the both the outgoing and incoming presidents diverge from traditional uses of the power. They also speculate on how — and if — the process could change in the future, should a president have the interest in altering authority granted by the Constitution. You won’t want to miss this enlightening episode.