President Trump Pardons 2020 Election Allies and Jan. 6 Rioters, Excludes State Charges
President Donald Trump issued extensive pardons to 2020 election allies, fake electors, and Jan. 6 rioters, citing national reconciliation. These pardons only cover federal crimes.
Trump Issues Fake Pardons For Fake Electors
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Trump pardons Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows and many Jan. 6 allies
New York Daily News
Overview
- President Donald Trump pardoned Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, Sidney Powell, John Eastman, Jeffrey Clark, and 77 other allies involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
- The pardons extended to Republicans who served as fake electors in 2020, submitting false certificates, and over 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riot.
- Trump's administration justified pardons by citing national reconciliation and addressing perceived injustices, calling prosecutions a "grave national injustice" while denying wrongdoing.
- Crucially, presidential pardons exclusively cover federal crimes, not protecting individuals like Giuliani and Meadows from ongoing state-level charges or civil cases.
- President Trump explicitly excluded himself from any pardon and also commuted the sentence of former Republican Rep. George Santos for charges of wire fraud and identity theft.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by consistently characterizing the pardoned individuals as having engaged in illegitimate efforts to overturn the 2020 election. They use evaluative language to describe the claims of election fraud as "baseless" or "unfounded," and emphasize the legal repercussions faced by those involved, such as charges, convictions, and disbarment.
"Trump's pardon attorney Ed Martin indicated that many more Americans targeted by the Biden administration are likely to receive pardons in the future."
USA TODAY"The pardons of dozens of Republicans accused of participating in efforts to overturn the 2020 election are a continuation of President Donald Trump’s attempts to rewrite the history about his election loss."
Associated Press"Trump's move is largely symbolic, however, since pardons only apply to federal crimes and all of the recipients were charged by state-level prosecutors only."
BBC News"Trump's second-term pardons and commutations are notable for their political and personal connections to the president."
NPR"Trump’s issuance of the pardons underscores his determination to try to exonerate those involved in the effort to overturn the results in 2020."
Deadline"The pardon document, dated Nov. 7, starts out by saying it "ends a grave national injustice perpetrated upon the American people following the 2020 Presidential Election and continues the process of national reconciliation.""
CBS News"The federal pardons don’t apply to state-level charges."
USA TODAY"The proclamation described efforts to prosecute those accused of aiding Trump’s efforts to cling to power as 'a grave national injustice perpetrated on the American people' and said the pardons were designed to continue 'the process of national reconciliation.'"
Fortune"The move underscores President Donald Trump’s continued efforts to promote the idea that the 2020 election was stolen from him even though courts around the country and U.S. officials found no evidence of fraud that could have affected the outcome."
Chicago Tribune"The move underscores President Donald Trump's continued efforts to promote the idea that the 2020 election was stolen from him even though courts around the country and U.S. officials found no evidence of fraud that could have affected the outcome."
ABC News"This latest string of pardons, while symbolic, appears to be part of Trump's longstanding efforts to rewrite history and amplify his false claims that the 2020 election, which was won by Joe Biden, was stolen."
NPR"The pardons are largely symbolic as none of the people listed were convicted of federal crimes, which the presidential pardon covers."
NBC News"The move underscores Trump’s continued efforts to promote the idea that the 2020 election was stolen from him even though courts around the country and U.S. officials found no evidence of fraud that could have affected the outcome."
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FAQ
The fake electors in Pennsylvania and New Mexico included legal caveats in their documents stating their votes should only be counted if pending court cases were resolved in Trump’s favor. Prosecutors determined these caveats prevented criminal prosecution.
No, presidential pardons only cover federal crimes and do not protect individuals from ongoing state-level criminal charges or civil cases.
In Wisconsin, three Trump aides associated with the fake elector scheme were charged with felony forgery, and the case is ongoing. The 10 Republican electors who signed the fake documents were sued in civil court and reached a settlement, including a statement that Biden won Wisconsin and a vow never to act as electors again.
President Trump also pardoned Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, Sidney Powell, John Eastman, Jeffrey Clark, and over 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riot.
No, President Trump explicitly excluded himself from any pardon.
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