I thought the power to pardon was almost absolute.
That would violate the principle of checks and balances. This is the summary list of notable pardons by US Presidents. Up until Nixon all of them look pretty sensible, after that it starts get murky until it turns into downright cronyism.
That would violate the principle of checks and balances. This is the summary list of notable pardons by US Presidents. Up until Nixon all of them look pretty sensible, after that it starts get murky until it turns into downright cronyism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_pardoned_or_granted_clemency_by_the_president_of_the_United_States
It will be interesting to see if later there is a push to change the executive clemency laws.