Context:

President Trump has used his presidential pardon powers extensively to redefine criminality, focusing on pardoning political allies and downplaying white-collar crimes. Critics argue that these actions normalize nonviolent crimes like fraud and tax evasion, while simultaneously targeting his political adversaries. Notably, Trump granted clemency to individuals involved in the Capitol riot, claiming these actions right the wrongs of a politicized justice system. His approach has led to significant changes within the Justice Department, including a reduction in staff investigating corruption and fraud. Trump's strategy includes creating new crime categories and attempting to rewrite the narrative around the Capitol riot and his supporters' prosecutions.

Dive Deeper:

• President Trump has issued pardons to over two dozen individuals, many of whom are his political allies and have been convicted of white-collar crimes such as fraud and tax evasion, leading critics to accuse him of redefining criminality to suit his purposes.

• Trump's application of pardon powers is seen as a way to assert personal dominance, bypassing traditional ethical and institutional processes, and is justified by him in response to President Biden's pardons, which Trump deemed disgraceful.

• The mass clemency for Capitol rioters undermines the Department of Justice's extensive investigation and sets a precedent that risks encouraging future acts of political violence, according to former U.S. attorney Matthew M. Graves.

• Trump's pardons often benefit the wealthy and well-connected, erasing convictions by claiming political motivations behind prosecutions, as seen in the case of Scott Jenkins, a former sheriff convicted of bribery.

• The Justice Department under Trump has seen cuts in units handling public corruption and fraud, with a shift in focus towards prosecuting critics of the administration and those opposing Trump's agenda.

• High-profile investigations and charges against figures opposing Trump or his policies have been publicized, reflecting a broader strategy to weaponize the Justice Department against perceived adversaries.

• This pattern of behavior by the Trump administration raises concerns about the politicization of legal processes and the potential erosion of the rule of law, as noted by former officials and legal experts.